Young people's session

Read Bible notes on Luke 13.31-35

Jesus is not distracted from what he must do by threats or plans of others; he stays focused. What are the things that distract you from following Jesus? Who or what helps you to stay focused?

The young people might experience many distractions and these might be overwhelming as they think about the future. Help them to see that Jesus does have plans for our lives but also is able to help us with the immediate issues we face today, tomorrow and the next day.

Value word association 5 mins W E

•  Play the track ‘The Way (Live)’, Worship Central (feat. Tim Hughes) on Set Apart (Live), as the young people arrive.
• Ask the group to sit in a circle. Start by sharing a value, e.g. honesty, equality, respect, and ask the next person to respond with the first word that comes to mind. Continue until someone hesitates, repeats a word or uses a word that is not relevant to the first value word.
• Ask: Which values would you say are the most important to you?

First impressions

You could also use the image and following questions to help introduce the theme.

Click on the image to view a larger version or use the Jump menu to go to This week's images. For artist's details, see this issue's illustrators.

Questions

• How would you describe the words on this wall?
• What words would be written on your wall?
• Pick one of your words – how might that value affect your behaviour?

Gathered together 5 mins E S

• Create a comfortable space in which to share the passage, to provide a sense of safety and security as a hen would do by gathering her brood.
•  Play the track ‘Build My Life’, Pat Barrett (feat. Chris Tomlin) on Build My Life EP, as you read the passage.

How do you react?  10 mins  W E A

Think about our how values inform our actions

You will need: scenarios (see below), printed out, folded and placed in a container.

• Ask the young people to each take a piece of paper from the container, one at a time, read it aloud and express how they would feel and what they would do.
• Invite others to comment on how they would react too. Discuss their reactions and what those tell us about the young people’s values. Ask: How could you react differently, perhaps showing a different value? 

Scenarios

• You arrive at school in your uniform, only to discover that it’s a non-uniform day and you’re the only one who didn’t realise.
• You’re lying in bed and you see a spider crawling across the covers towards you.
• Your English teacher is so impressed with your writing that she asks you to read it out in front of the whole year group during assembly.
• During breaktime at school, you’re chatting with your friends about how mean you think one of your teachers is, only to discover that the teacher is standing right behind and has heard every word.

 Stay focused 10 mins W E A

How we can help each other to focus 

You will need: flipchart paper, sticky notes and pens.

• Ask for two volunteers. Simultaneously, one must say aloud numbers 1-10 in ascending order, while the other says the numbers in descending order.
• Ask: What makes it difficult?
• Jesus identifies and resists things that will distract him and remains completely focused. As a group, discuss ways that might help each other to stay focused.
• Write ideas on sticky notes and add them to the flipchart paper. Try to agree on the most important values shown in this behaviour, then place these in descending order.

Prayer web  5 mins E S

See how the group strengthens everyone

You will need: a ball of string.

• Invite everyone to stand in a circle. Hold onto the end of a ball of string, say the name of someone opposite you and throw the ball to them. Continue until everyone is holding some string, forming a web that connects the group.
• Ask everyone to pull slightly and feel the strength of the web. Pray that the group would be joined and strengthened by Jesus and the values of his kingdom, and that these values would hold you together even when you are apart.  

Check-in: Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues

• Invite the young people to write down the things they plan to do today, tomorrow and the next day, but tell them that these will be shared.
• Ask everyone to fold up their to-do list and put it in a container, then ask everyone to take one list out that belongs to someone else and commit to praying for that list in the coming days.

Go with God 24/7

Take one of the values sticky notes (see Stay focused) and display it as a reminder to live it out. 
W E A

Before you finish, give out the ROOTS at home resource to encourage faith at home.