Part 1 Justice KEY VERSE/PASSAGE: Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:16-17 SET-UP: If you are meeting with a larger group, break them up into smaller groups (5-6 is ideal, with one person an adult leader or mature student designated as group leader) before you start. If you are meeting with a smaller group (12 or less), it s okay to keep them together. YOU SAY: Tonight we re starting a two-part mini-series called Stand Up. The truth is, as Christians, we re often known more for what we stand against than for what we stand up for. Tonight we ll talk about standing up for something, justice, and how it s not just about a good cause, but it s part of who we re called to be as God s people. I really believe that it s only when we stand for something that we can begin to effectively stand against something, specifically what we ll talk about next week bullying. Let s get into this tonight by answering a few questions in small groups OPENING GROUP QUESTIONS: (Distribute these or have them up on the screen and give small groups 5ish minutes to go over them.) - What does the word justice mean to you? What about injustice? - What are some examples of injustice you see in the world around you? - Do you think God cares about justice? Why or why not? YOU SAY: Justice is a word that we hear a lot in our culture. Sometimes we think of police officers, or court rooms with judges and lawyers the justice system. Other times we think of heroic people swooping in and rescuing people in distress or under oppression from evil tyrants. We associate the word justice with goodness, righteousness, and light, and the word injustice with evil, tyranny, and darkness, and those ideas are essentially right. Did you know that the Bible talks about justice? The word justice in Hebrew is tsedhaqah or tsedheq and dikaiosune in Greek. It is also translated as righteousness, and those words justice and righteousness appear in the Bible hundreds of times.
Did you know, though, that justice isn t just an idea? Justice is an aspect of God s character it s an essential part of who He is! Listen to what the Bible says (you can read these aloud, have them on a screen, or pass them out before and have students read them): The Lord is righteous, he loves justice. Psalm 11:7 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. Job 37:23 The Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness. Isaiah 5:16 The Lord is a God of justice. Isaiah 30:18 So, as Christians, when we think about justice, we have to think bigger than just a noble idea about right vs. wrong, we have to think about who God is and then ask ourselves some questions in light of that. BIG GROUP QUESTIONS: (Ask the big group these questions one at a time, taking just a couple answers to each one don t linger too long on any one question unless it s a really good conversation!) - How do you think most people determine what is right and wrong in their lives? - If God is God the Creator, Sustainer, and Source and He is also good just and righteous what does that mean for us as we try to figure out what is good and right in this life? - Is thinking of God as the standard for what is good, right, and just easy or difficult? Why? - Jesus is Emmanuel God with us. He came as a human being; a living, breathing, walking, talking embodiment of God s character, including His goodness and justice. As followers of Jesus, what does that mean for us as far as following/pursuing justice in our lives goes?
YOU SAY: As followers of Christ, we have to take seriously the call for us to be a people who pursue God s goodness and justice in our hearts and minds, and then live it out in our actions. But there is a problem we don t always do good! Often we are the source of injustice in the world around us, whether it s through the way we treat others, how we talk about people (to their faces or behind their backs), the choices we make about how to live our lives with no regard for how it affects others, and so on. In order for us to take a stand for justice and against injustice, we have to start with ourselves. Listen to what the Bible says: Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:16-17 Standing up for justice means that we have to stop doing wrong and learn to do right! Here s the thing when it comes to making a difference in YOUR world, it all begins with you. And I ll tell you from my own experience that when it comes to true heart and life change, there s only one Person who truly has the power to do that in us, and His name is Jesus. (This is a good point to, in your own words, share the Gospel and challenge students who have never made a decision to follow Christ to do so.) It s so important for us to stand up for justice before we can ever take a stand against injustice, because until we stand for something, we re only being reactive, not proactive in making a difference. I challenge you to stand up for justice in your schools, in our community, and in the world as you learn to follow Jesus in deeper and better ways. SMALL GROUP CLOSING QUESTIONS: (Allow students to finish your time together by taking what you ve talked about a bit deeper by answering these questions as openly and honestly as they are willing. Also ask that one person would close their group in prayer.) - What is the first step to stand up for justice? What are some practical, real-life steps you could take to accomplish this first step? - Think about some of the examples of injustice you talked about at the beginning of this night. If a small group of students at your school started to stand up for justice and stand up against those things, what might happen? - How do you think God feels as He looks upon the world and sees they many, many forms of injustice (from bullying to racism to genocide) happening in this world? - A lot of people see injustice and ask where God is. Some say a better question to ask is where God s people are. What do you think of that? Do Christians have a responsibility to stand up for justice and against injustice?
Part 2 BULLYING KEY VERSE/PASSAGE: Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:16-17 SET-UP: If you are meeting with a larger group, break them up into smaller groups (5-6 is ideal, with one person an adult leader or mature student designated as group leader) before you start. If you are meeting with a smaller group (12 or less), it s okay to keep them together. YOU SAY: Last week we started this series called Stand Up! One of the things we talked about was that you first have to stand up for something in order to effectively stand up against something. We talked about standing up for JUSTICE and this week we ll talk about standing up against BULLYING. Before we get into that topic though, let s spend some time in small groups answering some questions OPENING GROUP QUESTIONS: (Distribute these or have them up on the screen and give small groups 5ish minutes to go over them.) - What does the word bullying mean to you? - In your opinion, is bullying an issue at your school or in our community? Why do you think that? - Do you think that God cares about bullying? Why or why not? YOU SAY: Bullying is an issue that has received a lot of attention in our culture recently. There are anti-bullying groups on Facebook, viral videos on Youtube, entire episodes of popular TV shows like Glee based on the topic, pop songs about it, and even a video game that puts you into the shoes of a school bully. Only weeks ago a new documentary film called Bully was released. The movie sheds light on a problem that few people know the extent of and that some don t even want to acknowledge exists. (OPTIONAL: If you have seen the movie, share some of your thoughts/reactions to it, AND/OR you can show a trailer for the movie.) Bullying is a problem that s definitely come into the spotlight over the last several years, but it s not a new problem. Bullying has been around since Cain thought he and Abel s sibling rivalry could be solved with violence. And I ll tell you God cares about bullying. Last week we learned that God cares about justice, not because it s something He does but because it s a part of who He is. And because He is a God of justice (Isaiah 30:18), he cares about injustices like bullying.
Listen to what the Bible says (you can read these aloud, have them on a screen, or pass them out before and have students read them): The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9 Whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. 1 John 2:11 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy Psalm 82:3-4a Don t bad-mouth each other, friends. It s God s Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You re supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it. God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others? James 4:11-12, The Message Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:16-17 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 God certainly seems to have an agenda when it comes to bullying, and do you know what I find interesting about it? It seems like the Bible is telling US to stand up, in God s name, against bullying. There are so many direct commands for us to stand against oppression and persecution in the Bible! God definitely cares about bullying, has a heart for those who are bullied, and a plan for His people in response to it. With that in mind, let s ask ourselves a few questions: BIG GROUP QUESTIONS: (Ask the big group these questions one at a time, taking just a couple answers to each one don t linger too long on any one question unless it s a really good conversation!) - Why doesn t God just take care of bullies, one at a time, with some sort of holylightning-bolt-from-space? - If justice is a part of who God is, what does that mean for us (Christians) as we grow to be more like Him? - Do you think it is important to stand for something justice before you stand against something like bullying? Why or why not?
- What do you think our responsibility is as Christians when it comes to the problem of bullying? Do we even have a responsibility? - Edmund Burke, an Irish philosopher, said that all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Do you think that quote has any applications when it comes to bullying and our response to it? YOU SAY: As believers, we have to recognize that we do have a responsibility to stand up for those who often can t or aren t standing up for themselves. I want to go a little deeper for a minute though. I want us to think about WHY bullying even exists. Why do some people feel the need to abuse others in order to make themselves feel bigger or stronger? The short, simple answer is SIN. Bullying exists for the same reason that lying, gossip, stealing, idolatry, rape, murder, war, selfishness, lust, and every other evil in this world exists. We are a broken people. We are all lost and wandering, and our sin manifests itself in different ways. Some people lie. Some people break the law. Some people are bullies and hurt others. What I want you to realize tonight is that the solution to bullying is not a movie, it s not a catchphrase on a t-shirt or a bracelet, it s not an online petition, it s not even a movement of people standing up against it. The solution to bullying is the same as the solution to all sin: Jesus. God s solution to sin is the cross that Jesus died on. The solution to bullying, the ONLY real and permanent weapon that we have to fight this injustice with is the Gospel. Anything else, no matter how well intentioned, is only a band-aid on a severed leg. Useless! Why? Because the Gospel is the only thing that will truly change a person s heart. And at the core, what is the Gospel? It s God s sacrificial, world-changing love. That s what will make a difference at your school you being willing to stand up and make a sacrifice in love for someone who is being bullied. Think about this when we all stood helpless and alone in the face of judgment, Jesus stepped between us and that judgment and said I will take it. What would it be like if there were a group of young people that stood between the bully and the bullied and said if you want to hit someone, hit me I will take it. The Bible says that the greatest expression of love is laying down one s life for one s friends (John 15:13). Jesus took the cross for us. Would you be willing to take a black eye or a fat lip for someone else? As we come to a close, I challenge you to stand up. Stand up for justice! Stand up against bullying! But as you stand, stand holding out the sacrificial love we see in the Gospel of Jesus.
One more thing. If YOU have been or are being bullied, I want you to hear this: you are not alone. You may feel alone, isolated, unloved, worthless, etc., but the truth is that you are none of those things! I won t lie to you this life is hard, and people can be cruel. But listen to what Jesus says in John 16:33: I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. Take heart! God Word is more powerful than theirs. His strength is greater than theirs. His love is more powerful than their hate. Fall into His arms and trust that you are loved, you are treasured, you are worth His everything. (This is a good point to, in your own words, share the Gospel and challenge students who have never made a decision to follow Christ to do so.) I also want to encourage you to talk to an adult a parent, teacher, counselor, youth leader, etc. about what s happening to you. You might not think it s a good idea, but you need to tell someone who can help you move past what is happening to you. SMALL GROUP CLOSING QUESTIONS: (Allow students to finish your time together by taking what you ve talked about a bit deeper by answering these questions as openly and honestly as they are willing. Also ask that one person would close their group in prayer.) - Have you ever had an opportunity to stand up for someone who was being bullied? Did you take it? What happened? Are you proud of what you did, or do you wish you had done more? - Our youth leader said that Jesus is the only real solution to bullying. Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Why? - Do you really think that a small group of people can make a difference at your school when it comes to standing up against bullying? Why or why not? - Optional Have you ever been bullied? What happened and how did it make you feel? - What can we do to help people who are being bullied?