Russ Bowlin is the youth director at Williams Memorial UMC in Texarkana, Texas. He wrote a youth Bible lesson on “Seeking God” and send it to me to freely share with all of you. The candy theme fits well with this time of year. Thanks, Russ!

The game
Before Sunday, hide candy in the youth area. Explain that the game today is going to be a little bit like and Easter egg hunt. The only differences being that the candy isn’t in eggs. Each youth should be given a bag and instructed that they have approximately 3 minutes to find all the candy. Then turn them loose and chaos will probably ensue. After the hunt is over, split into groups and begin the discussion about the game and scriptures.

Debriefing the game

• Did you help anyone else get candy? Why or why not?
• Was this activity fair?
• Did you get enough candy? (Hopefully they’ll say no and set up our discussion of scripture!)

Scriptures & Discussion Questions
Proverbs 2: 1-6

• Who wrote the book of Proverbs? (Most scholars agree it was Solomon, with some other contributors in the later chapters)
• What do we know about Solomon? (rich, king, wise)
• Is wisdom acquired, or is it just something we have or don’t have?
• Why should we seek wisdom just like we seek riches? What does he mean when he says that wisdom will help us to understand the fear of the Lord and knowledge of God?

Matthew 6:19-24

• Why should we “store up treasures in heaven”? How can we do this? (It’s not just by giving to the church, but by being obedient to God in everything we do)
• Why does he talk about the eye? (The eye is one of our biggest challenges when trying to stay focused on God. We see so many other things that we “need” and “want” that it makes it difficult to see what God desires) Being clouded by our own ambition and wants keeps us from seeing God’s will in all situations, a bad eye is one that is focused on personal, worldly gain.
• Do you think it’s possible to “serve [the] two masters” of money and God? What problem does this present to Christians today?

Acts 4: 32-37

• While this is not an example of how churches are supposed to work, it does offer some insight into the importance of unity in a church. What are some other ways that churches show unity?
• In verse 36 Joseph (aka Barnabas) is mentioned. Where else do we hear about Barnabas? (Acts 13- He accompanies Paul on his first missionary journey). What does this tell you about the role of laypersons in the church?

Hebrews 10: 32-34

• Do you remember your early days? When you were bold and confident in your faith?
• This section addresses perseverance and includes Heb. 10:25 (one of my favorite verses) which addresses the necessity of having a church family to support you and not trying to be an island. How does verse 34 encourage community?
• What are the “better and lasting possessions” that Paul refers to at the end of verse 34?

———————————————————————-
Join our LIVE YM Talk today at 2:00 PM EST! The topic is, “Using media like film, music, and photography in teaching.” Michael Rothermel is a teenager himself and will teach us how to communicate more effectively with his peers. Join us using either your telephone or your computer microphone!

Posted on October 24, 2008