LifeTrak: Bible Studies for Younger Youth 4.1. Biblical Truth: Regardless of your actions, good or bad, God values and loves you.

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1 LifeTrak: Bible Studies for Younger Youth 4.1 Unit 1 Take A Look (Self-Identity in Christ) Session 1: In His Eyes Life Question: What does God think about me? Biblical Truth: Regardless of your actions, good or bad, God values and loves you. Bible Passages: Luke 15:11-24; Micah 7:18-19 Key Verses: Micah 7:18-19 Biblical Setting: Jesus told the parable of a prodigal son to emphasize the forgiving nature of God the Father, who loves us and longs for us to return to Him. Session Focus: Through a study of Jesus parable of the prodigal son, students will learn that they are valuable to God and that He loves them and longs for a relationship with them regardless of their past actions. Identify characteristics of God as told in the story of the prodigal son. Discover ways in which God expresses His love to us. Accept God s love and forgiveness.

2 Session 2: In Others Eyes Life Question: What s wrong with relying on others to decide my worth? Biblical Truth: Others place high value on external qualities, but God cares most about what s in your heart. Bible Passages: 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Luke 16:15 Key Verse: 1 Samuel 16:7 Biblical Setting: God rejected Saul as king of Israel and instructed Samuel to go to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse s sons as the new king. While Samuel looked at the physical appearances of Jesse s sons, God reminded Samuel that He looks at a person s heart. Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees that while they might look good in others eyes, God did not care about outward appearances because He knew their hearts. Session Focus: This session will help students discover that people look at outward appearances, but God sees the heart. It will challenge them to recognize that what is valued by the world is not necessarily valued by God. It will challenge them to not allow others to determine their worth. Contrast the world s perspective of value with God s perspective. Repent from trying to base our worth on the opinions of others. Identify ways to develop inner qualities that honor God and others.

3 Session 3: In My Eyes Life Question: How can I know my life is worth anything? Biblical Truth: By accepting that you have been created by God and have a special place in His creation, you can know your life has value. Bible Passages: Psalm 8:1,3-6; Psalm 100:1-5; Psalm 139:1-4,13-16 Key Verses: Psalm 139:13-14 Biblical Setting: The psalmist noted how God created humanity a little lower than the angels but gave humanity dominion over the created order. The psalmist also noted that God knows everything about the humanity He created in His image. Session Focus: This session will help students understand that humanity is highly favored by God and that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. It will challenge students to recognize their worth as a creation of God. Discover the special ranking we have been given in creation. Discover that God created us fearfully and wonderfully. Repent from negative attitudes and actions we have toward ourselves. Thank God for creating us as He did.

4 Unit 2 Giving It Some Thought (Book of Haggai) Session 1: Thinking About My Obedience Session Life Question: Why should I care about being obedient to God? Biblical Truth: Because disobedience leads to God s discipline, you should seek to obey God and receive His blessings. Bible Passage: Haggai 1:1-15 Key Verses: Haggai 1:5-6 Biblical Setting: In the first part of his prophecy, Haggai challenged the people to obey God by rebuilding the temple as He instructed. He explained that the God had been disciplining them because of their disobedience to the task. Session Focus: This session will guide students to understand the need to obey God. It will help them discover the correlation between obedience and blessing and disobedience and discipline. Examine Haggai s appeal to the people. Discover the results of the peoples disobedience. Identify areas in which we are being disobedient to God. Repent from disobedience and obey God s commands.

5 Session 2: Thinking About Evil Around Me Session Life Question: How do I respond to the evil around me? Biblical Truth: When things seem bleak, you can trust that God is strong and mighty and will triumph over evil when He returns to judge the earth. Bible Passage: Haggai 2:1-9, Key Verses: Haggai 2:21-22 Biblical Setting: Haggai challenged the people to remain obedient despite the evil around them. He reminded the people of God s awesome power and might and explained that He would return to judge evil and triumph over it. Session Focus: This session will challenge students to gain a biblical perspective on the evil around them. It will guide students to remain faithful to God in the midst of an evil world, knowing that God will eventually return in righteousness to judge evil. Examine Haggai s challenge for faithfulness. Discover God s awesome power and might over evil. Trust God to judge evil and reward righteousness.

6 Unit 3 In My World (Relationships) Session 1: My World and My Friends Life Question: How can I build lasting friendships? Biblical Truth: Through God, you can build lasting friendships in the Lord that are characterized by love and devotion. Bible Passages: 1 Samuel 20:1-11,18-42 Key Verse: Proverbs 17:17 Biblical Setting: The friendship of Jonathan and David was marked by genuine love and devotion, even when threatened by outside circumstances. Session Focus: This session will show how David and Jonathan s friendship was based in the Lord and included qualities of love, loyalty, unselfishness, and help during times of trouble. It will challenge students to develop lasting friendships. Examine the relationship between Jonathan and David to discover qualities of lasting friendship. Evaluate our friendships in light of the example of Jonathan and David. Commit to develop friendships based on faith and faithfulness.

7 Session 2: My World and the Opposite Sex Life Question: How should I relate to people of the opposite sex? Biblical Truth: Your relationships with persons of the opposite sex should honor God and others. Bible Passages: 1 Corinthians 6:18-20; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; 1 Timothy 5:1-2 Key Verses: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 Biblical Setting: Paul challenged the church to honor God in their sexuality. He also noted that relationships should be marked by self-control, unselfishness, and concern for the needs of others. He emphasized that believers should treat members of the opposite sex as brothers or sisters. Session Focus: This session will challenge students to treat persons of the opposite sex with respect and concern, as brothers or sisters. It will also challenge them to seek to bring glory to God in their relationships with the opposite sex. Examine God s desire for believers to treat each other with respect and dignity. Evaluate our attitudes and actions toward people of the opposite sex. Take steps to improve our relationships with people of the opposite sex.

8 Session 3: My World and Other Christians Life Question: Why do I need relationships with other Christians? Biblical Truth: Because Christians need the community that only comes from group of believers, your relationship with other Christians should reflect Christlike character. Bible Passages: Acts 2:42-47; Colossians 3:12-17 Key Verses: Colossians 3:12-13 Biblical Setting: The early church regularly spent time praying, learning, sharing their lives together, and caring for each other. Paul commanded believers to develop this same attitude toward other believers through Christlike actions that preserve the unity and bring honor to Christ. Session Focus: This session will note how the first Christians spent time regularly seeking to grow in their faith, in their love for one another, and in their witness to the Lord. It will challenge students to develop Christlike love and commitment for fellow believers. Identify some characteristics of the early church. Identify ways our local church can follow the example of the early church. Take steps to improve our relationships with other believers.

9 Session 4: Impacting My World Life Question: How can I impact my world? Biblical Truth: By allowing your life to be a reflection of Christ, you can impact your world in a positive way. Bible Passages: Matthew 5:13-16; Romans 12:14-21 Key Verse: Matthew 5:13 Biblical Setting: Christ said that His followers are salt and light to a decaying world that lives in darkness. Paul gave instructions for how believers are to live in a world of hostility and unbelief. Session Focus: This session will emphasize the Christian s calling to be salt and light in the world. It will challenge teens to live visibly different lives from those in the world who don t know Christ. Affirm Christ s expectations for His followers to be salt and light in the world around them. Discover ways we can be salt and light to non-christians. Take action to reflect Christ in practical ways in our attitudes and actions.

10 Unit 4: You Are My All in All (God) Session 1: You Are My Vision Session Life Question: How can I gain a better perspective about my life? Biblical Truth: Because God sees every aspect of your life, you can look to Him to gain the right perspective. Bible Passage: Genesis 16:1-14 Key Verse: Genesis 16:13 Biblical Setting: In this passage, Sarai told her husband to have children through their maidservant Hagar. When Hagar became pregnant, she despised Sarai and treated her poorly. Sarai began to mistreat Hagar, so Hagar ran away from her. God told Hagar to return to Sarai, promising a heritage to Hagar in spite of Sarai's actions. Session Focus: This session will challenge students to trust God to seek God s perspective and guidance because He sees every aspect of their lives. Explore the story of Hagar and Sarai to see how both women needed to gain a proper perspective. Celebrate the fact that God sees, knows, and cares for every part of our lives. Identify areas in which we need to adjust our perspective. Seek God s viewpoint on situations we currently face.

11 Session 2: You Are My Provider Session Life Question: Why should I trust God for my needs? Biblical Truth: Because God is your Provider, you can trust Him to meet your needs, even in difficult circumstances. Bible Passage: Genesis 22:1-14 Key Verse: Genesis 22:14 Biblical Setting: In this passage, God called Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Abraham trusted God, even though it meant the death of his only son. God honored Abraham's trust and provided a sacrificial ram as a substitute for Isaac. Session Focus: This session will focus on Abraham's continued trust in God despite the possible consequences. It will challenge students to trust God even though the situation may seem confusing or disheartening. Identify character traits in Abraham that led him to trust God. Identify areas in which we need to trust God. Repent from distrust by taking actions that demonstrate trust.

12 Session 3: You Are My Peace Session Life Question: Where can I turn when my life turns upside down? Biblical Truth: You can turn to God when your life is chaotic because He is Peace. Bible Passage: Judges 6:1-24 Key Verse: John 16:33 Biblical Setting: In this passage, God called out Gideon to lead the nation of Israel to defeat the Midianites. Gideon presented an offering to God as an affirmation of His calling. When God consumed the sacrifice by fire, God promised Gideon peace and commanded him not to be afraid. Gideon then proclaimed that the Lord is Peace. Session Focus: This session will focus on the peace God brought into Gideon's life in the midst of upheaval. It will encourage students to seek God's peace in their own lives when situations become chaotic or when doing God s will seems impossible. Discover the peace Gideon experienced in God. Identify areas in which we need God s peace. Rest in God s peace in the midst of our struggles.

13 Session 4: You Are My Friend Session Life Question: Where can I turn when I feel alone? Biblical Truth: God is your friend and will be there for you when you feel alone. Bible Passages: Deuteronomy 31:6; Isaiah 43:1-4; John 15:12-17 Key Verse: Deuteronomy 31:6 Biblical Setting: In Deuteronomy, Moses reminded Joshua that God would never leave Joshua or forsake him. In the Book of Isaiah, God declared His love for His people, proclaiming that He would be with them, no matter what they went through. Jesus later declared that His followers are His friends. Session Focus: This session will guide teens to discover that God wants to be their friend and will never leave them when they feel alone. It will challenge them to trust that God will always be by their side, no matter the circumstances or how they may feel. Examine God s promise of His never-ending presence. Thank God for being our friend. Take steps to develop our friendships with God.