Young people's session

Read Bible notes on Job 38:1-7,(34-41)

After 37 chapters of Job pleading and his friends commenting on his situation, God answers Job. The nature of God is revealed in this poetic response, which demonstrates God’s role and power as the creator of the earth. God is in control and is fully invested in his handiwork.

When have you felt like you have been waiting for God to hear your call? Did you ever question God’s power?

At first glance we could read this passage and hear a very angry and authoritative version of God. Be aware of how the group react to authority. It is a good challenge to try and see this passage with a different lens, to explore God’s majesty rather than wrath.

Don't forget:
Check-in: a weekly biblical reflection on youth and contemporary culture.
Thrive: A resource to encourage family faith at home.
Plus: Images and links to templates, music tracks and other online resources.

Do you even know who I am? W E

You will need: paper and pens.

• Help the group to get to know each other better by asking everyone to write down one unusual fact about themselves, then fold the paper up.
• Collect all the facts up and then read them aloud, one at a time. The group must then guess whose fact is whose. Did any of the facts surprise them?

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

• What fills you with awe?
• How do you respond to something vast and beyond your comprehension?
• What words could you use to describe how wonderful God is?

The voice of God       E

You will need: copies of the passage.

• Ask for volunteers to read this week’s passage, each taking on a different emotion, e.g. angry, loving, disappointed.
  How does hearing the passage read in different styles help to hear who God is, and understand how God is answering Job’s questions?

Paint God’s creation    S

Bring the passage to life through art

You will need: paints such as watercolours, paper or small canvas, paintbrushes.

• Ask the young people to select a section of this week’s passage and create a painting from it. Such as ‘The morning stars’. Which verses stand out as displaying God’s majesty and glory?
• Listen to ‘Indescribable’, Chris Tomlin, during this activity.

Or

Who said that? W

Consider what God has revealed to us

You will need: list of quotes from famous leaders, pens and paper.

• Ask the young people to get into teams and make a team name linked to today’s passage.
  Play the famous leaders quiz, asking the young people to guess which famous leader said each quote.
• Swap papers to score the quiz at the end. Ask: Were there any quotes that inspired them? What did those quotes say about the leader?
• Ponder: If we can be inspired by human leaders, how much more can we be inspired by our creator God? What has God said that inspires you? What amazes you about God’s creation?

Who do you say you are? E S

Explore who the young people say they are

You will need: two different-coloured sticky notes per person, pens, video and means to play it.

• It can be easy for today’s culture to want to label everyone. Challenge the young people to label themselves using sticky notes. Be mindful, as individuals, of their experience of being labelled and how they present themselves. Choose one colour to label themselves with how society might view them, e.g. student, girl. Then choose a second colour to label themselves how God sees them, e.g. child of God, beloved, forgiven.
• Ask: How different did it feel labelling yourself in God’s view, as part of God’s creation; compared to today’s culture?

Creation prayers S

Show thanks for God’s creation

You will need: images of various places across the globe, paper, scissors, glue, pen.

• Encourage the young people to create a collage of images from the selection you have provided. Invite them to wonder at how amazing God’s creation is.
• Using a marker pen, layer the collage with places and ways in which the young people have felt close to God.
• Invite the group to give thanks for God’s majesty in creation and for all he has provided in their lives.
• Watch ‘Job’s Song’, Kendall Gregory, as a form of prayer to finish.

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

Available by 10 am on Thursday 17 October 2024.

• Play ‘Big God’, Terrian on Big God (Video; Chords).
• Ask the group to write down on flipchart paper as manywords as they can to describe God, e.g. holy, loving, forgiving, writing just one word per sheet.
• Once complete, ask the young people to write down moments in their lives when they have felt each quality of God. Ask: Which quality of God do you want to get to know more?

Go with God 24/7

Go for a walk this week and take notice of all God has created – get to know who God is through exploring creation.

Thrive

As you finish,
give out the Thrive
resource  to encourage
faith at home.