Bible Studies for Life: Students - Preview Guide by LifeWay Christian Resources

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“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

FROM THE EDITOR Living in a relationship with God is foundational to our lives as followers of Jesus. It’s not just knowing about God. It’s not simply doing the right things. It’s about loving God with all we are and allowing that to impact every area of our lives. Relationships are built on communication, and God has graciously revealed Himself through the Scriptures. With Bible Studies for Life: Students, our goal is to help students know God as we connect His Word to their lives in an intentional way. We’ve recently made a few updates to Bible Studies for Life: Students curriculum, and we now have what we think is our best resource yet! Here are a few of the features: • Clean, simple design that is easy to follow and visually compelling. • Great questions to create plenty of opportunities for students to engage. • Daily devotionals to help students engage with God throughout the week. • Weekly training videos to help leaders feel more prepared and confident. • Live It Out section that challenges students to apply biblical truths. • Built on the framework of Levels of Biblical Learning, an organized method of helping students grow in understanding truths foundational to our faith. Bible Studies for Life: Students is an incredible resource for your student ministry. We want to inspire your leaders and students to love God more deeply and to apply God’s Word to their daily lives. As they live out their faith, we believe they’ll find that following Christ impacts not only their lives, but the culture around them. Thank you for considering Bible Studies for Life: Students. Grace and Peace! Jeff Belcher

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

As students grow, their understanding of foundational truths grows with them. Leaders who are well-equipped lead well. Levels of Biblical Learning provides an easy-to-understand guide to levels of spiritual development for teenagers. The knowledge of how students grow in their understanding of these concepts will help ensure age-appropriate discipleship for middle and high schoolers.

God has a plan for every person, and we can know His plans by understanding and applying the truth of Scripture.

High School

God is Creator, all creation is a result of His work, and people were created in His image and as His crowning achievement to live in relationship with Him and reflect His glory.

Why Levels of Biblical Learning?

Levels of Biblical Learning was developed to provide leaders, parents, and student pastors with visible milestones related to biblical knowledge from middle to high school-aged students. These milestones revolve around 10 core concepts:

God

Creation

Jesus

Church

Holy Spirit

People

Bible

Family

Salvation

Community and World

God is Creator, all creation is a result of His work, and people were created to live in relationship with Him.

Middle School

God has a plan for every person, and He wants us to understand His plans for us.

Learn more about Levels of Biblical Learning

lifeway.com/levelsofbiblicallearning

HOW IT HELPS

LIVE IT OUT

COMMUNITY

DAILY DEVOTIONS

Among the greatest gifts God has given us to deal with worry are Christian friends. When we deal with difficult things alone, we’re likely to worry more. However, when we allow others to share in our struggles, God has a way of easing our worries.

Think of someone you trust and write down his or her name. Go to this friend and share the things that cause you to worry and the areas of your life where you fail to trust in God. Invite this friend to pray with you and for you.

We may be tempted to think that by living in obedience to God, our lives will be without trouble. However, this simply isn’t the case. Because of sin’s curse upon creation, we will face difficulties, and sometimes following Christ can bring even more trouble. Though we will experience worry or fear at times, the Holy Spirit ministers to us by: comforting us. opening our eyes to the character and truth of God. strengthening us to continue forward in obedience to God.

Listen for others who are dealing with worry and find ways to support them.

GOD JESUS

Faith in Christ is foundational to our relationship with God. Faith is more than simply “believing.” True faith is belief plus an element of trust, which is then demonstrated in the ways we live.

FAITH = Belief + Trust + Action

HOLY SPIRIT BIBLE SALVATION CREATION CHURCH PEOPLE

CONFESS In order to overcome worry, confess the areas in which you struggle to trust God. List your worries, and then cross through each as you give it over to God and allow Him to begin working in you.

The 7 Arrows of

BIBLE READING

CHRIST

CULTURE

Day One

1 TIMOTHY

There are all sorts of false ide concerning the Christian faith. people think that in order to h with God, we only need to bel if we share those “pass this on blessing” posts, surely God w with us. The early church deal issues. Some taught falsely th such as remaining unmarried a from certain foods, were nece However, the true gospel mak requirements. In order to be a Christ, we need to nourish our with the truth of Scripture, foll reveals to us, and share the go The blessings associated with earned, but given by God as e love and grace.

What’s the best way to rec false teaching?

In our culture, worry and anxiety are among the biggest problems people face. Identify a lost friend and share a story of how God has provided for you and how He’s calmed your fears. Help your friend to see that Jesus is the answer to our worries.

What does this passage say?

10 Who is the friend you are going to share with?

What did this passage mean to its original audience?

What does this passage tell us about God?

MEMORIZE Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33 this week. Write the verse in your journal, on a note card, or on your bathroom mirror, and continually remind yourself of God’s promise to provide.

Why is it so important to truth to others?

What does this passage Tell us about man?

11 What story will you tell?

What does this passage demand of me?

How does this passage change the way I relate to people?

FAMILY How does this passage prompt me to pray?

COMMUNITY & WORLD

Session 1

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

Bible Studies for Life

Session 1

1. BALANCED

2. RELATABLE

•B ible Studies for Life helps students understand that life and faith are not separate by starting with a life circumstance so students see the connection between theology and application.

• Each session uses real-life circumstances, as well as cultural context, to help students see how God’s Word applies not only to their lives but also to the lives of peers and others.

•D aily devotions included in the Daily Discipleship Guide help students incorporate spending time in God’s Word on their own into their day-to-day lives.

• The Live It Out section challenges students to apply ideas from each weekly session in their relationships with Christ, their church family, peers, and in reaching those around them who do not know Jesus.

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT?

FACT: Anxiety can confuse our sense of smell. People who worry a lot tend to perceive neutral smells as really stinky. 2

A Centered Life

The

POINT

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness above all other things. When we do this, we can trust that everything else will fall into place.

When your life is centered in Christ, everything else falls into place.

for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Bible Studies for Life

Y 4:6

eas floating around . For example, many have a relationship lieve in Him—and n and you’ll get a will be super happy lt with similar hat human works, and abstaining essary for salvation. kes no such a good servant of r hearts and minds ow the things God ospel with others. h salvation aren’t expressions of His

cognize

Day Two

1 TIMOTHY 4:7

A lot of people today spend their time on things that are totally pointless. For instance, when your TV remote is dead, how many times do you push the buttons before you’ll install new batteries? This is a silly illustration, but the truth is we often waste a lot of time and energy on pointless activities. Even worse, instead of believing the truth, we believe silly stories about life and eternity. This leads to destruction, but the way to experience victory is to put away all this foolishness, and instead, like a prime athlete, to train ourselves in godly thinking and living.

What foolish myths about faith and religion do people believe today?

MATTHEW 6:31-32

MATTHEW 6:33-34

3 List some ways people deal with worry in

6 What does Jesus promise in these verses?

What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?

their lives.

MATTHEW 6:25-30

MATTHEW 6:25-34 25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more

Make the choice to put away worry. You are a beloved child, and God is faithful. #BSFLsimplicity

Session 1

1 Describe the relationship between faith and worry.

When has God provided for you in an unexpected way?

2 What are some lies that cause worry to increase?

How can remembering God’s faithfulness help you deal with worry?

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

Day Three

Day Four

Some people are gifted athletes, and others are amazing musicians or artists. One thing they all have in common is that to become great, a lot of time and energy had to be invested into practicing. When we devote ourselves to training, there is real value in this. After all, our bodies, gifts, and abilities—all good things in our lives—are gifts from God. Therefore, we’re to steward them well. However, these talents in and of themselves are worth only so much—their value is limited to our earthly lives. Ultimately, what matters is that we are godly. Some people think following God means missing out on a lot of what life has to offer. That God’s law is a list of thou-shalt-not joy-killer fun-stealers. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Living for God certainly allows us to experience true joy in the present life. But that’s not all. Living for God is also an investment in eternity.

This passage refers to a specific kind of physical training—namely, disciplining ourselves in terms of what we eat and how we express ourselves within marriage. False teachers said these were requirements for salvation, but Paul (who wrote this letter to Timothy) clearly pointed out that this isn’t true. However, he also acknowledged that there may be a little value to these things. Our fleshly appetites will tempt us to sin, and to practice disciplines of abstaining—such as fasting—can strengthen our willpower muscles and help us to resist future temptation. However, the true benefit isn’t found in the discipline itself, but in the result of the discipline—godliness. When we live by faith in Jesus and in obedience to Him, we will experience blessings in every way, not only today, but for all of eternity.

1 TIMOTHY 4:8

What sort of “training” do you practice to help you resist temptation?

How have you devoted yourself to intense “training” in the earthly sense?

8 How can we follow Jesus’ instruction not to worry about tomorrow, yet still plan for the future?

Bible Studies for Life

Day Five

1 TIMOTHY 4:9-10

"Labor" and "strive" don’t necessarily sound like fun-loving, light-hearted ideas. And they’re not! For some reason, people sometimes think faith in God leads to a life that’s free of problems and filled with pleasures. However, this isn’t necessarily the case—at least not right now. One day, this earth and all its issues will pass away, the Lord will establish a new heaven and earth, and our lives will be free from sin and pain. But until then, we’re involved in a spiritual war, and as soldiers in God’s army, our hope in God compels us to labor and strive toward godliness. What’s at stake is not only our own souls, but the lives of those we point to Christ.

When have you experienced laboring and striving toward godliness?

point out the

How is God calling you to “train yourself in godliness”?

How have you experienced rewards in every way associated with godliness?

How can you apply the same kind of discipline to your spiritual life?

How has this contributed toward your benefit in every way (1 Tim. 4:8)?

Bible Studies for Life

Session 1

3. AGE-APPROPRIATE •L evels of Biblical Learning provides the framework for Bible Studies for Life to ensure that students grow in understanding truths from God’s Word that are foundational to our faith, at an age-appropriate level.

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

HOW IT WORKS

LIVE IT OUT

COMMUNITY

DAILY DEVOTIONS

Day One

1 TIMOTHY

Listen for others who are dealing with worry and find ways to support them.

GOD

Faith in Christ is foundational to our relationship with God. Faith is more than simply “believing.” True faith is belief plus an element of trust, which is then demonstrated in the ways we live.

JESUS

FAITH = Belief + Trust + Action

HOLY SPIRIT BIBLE SALVATION CREATION CHURCH PEOPLE

The 7 Arrows of

BIBLE READING

CHRIST

CULTURE In our culture, worry and anxiety are among the biggest problems people face. Identify a lost friend and share a story of how God has provided for you and how He’s calmed your fears. Help your friend to see that Jesus is the answer to our worries.

What does this passage say?

10 Who is the friend you are going to share with?

What did this passage mean to its original audience?

What does this passage tell us about God?

Why is it so important to truth to others?

What does this passage Tell us about man?

11 What story will you tell?

What does this passage demand of me?

How does this passage change the way I relate to people?

FAMILY How does this passage prompt me to pray?

COMMUNITY & WORLD

Session 1

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

Session 1

1. CLEAR

2. INTERACTIVE

•S tudents connect with the content through clear biblical engagement, applicable teaching, and a compelling design.

• Each session uses interaction, discussion, and reflection to help students engage with Scripture and with one another in meaningful ways.

• The design is clean and modern, engages students visually throughout every session, and makes it easy to follow the important content.

• The content helps students engage personally with Scripture.

•E very session begins with The Bible Meets Life, which connects God’s Word to real-life situations relevant to students’ lives.

Bible Studies for Life

• Compelling group questions promote discussion among group members across a wide range of age levels. Students are challenged to reflect on biblical truth and evaluate how their lives align to the standards set forth in Scripture.

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

What’s the best way to rec false teaching?

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT?

FACT: Anxiety can confuse our sense of smell. People who worry a lot tend to perceive neutral smells as really stinky. 2

A Centered Life

The

POINT

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness above all other things. When we do this, we can trust that everything else will fall into place.

When your life is centered in Christ, everything else falls into place.

Bible Studies for Life

Y 4:6

cognize

Day Two

1 TIMOTHY 4:7

What foolish myths about faith and religion do people believe today?

MATTHEW 6:31-32

MATTHEW 6:33-34

3 List some ways people deal with worry in

6 What does Jesus promise in these verses?

What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?

their lives.

MATTHEW 6:25-30

Make the choice to put away worry. You are a beloved child, and God is faithful. #BSFLsimplicity

Session 1

1 Describe the relationship between faith and worry.

When has God provided for you in an unexpected way?

2 What are some lies that cause worry to increase?

How can remembering God’s faithfulness help you deal with worry?

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

Day Three

Day Four

1 TIMOTHY 4:8

What sort of “training” do you practice to help you resist temptation?

How have you devoted yourself to intense “training” in the earthly sense?

8 How can we follow Jesus’ instruction not to worry about tomorrow, yet still plan for the future?

Bible Studies for Life

Day Five

1 TIMOTHY 4:9-10

When have you experienced laboring and striving toward godliness?

point out the

How is God calling you to “train yourself in godliness”?

How have you experienced rewards in every way associated with godliness?

How can you apply the same kind of discipline to your spiritual life?

How has this contributed toward your benefit in every way (1 Tim. 4:8)?

Bible Studies for Life

Session 1

3. INTENTIONAL • Every session is designed to make an impact in students’ lives to equip them to positively influence their culture. • Session content places the lens of God’s Word on relevant issues and events happening every day. • The Live It Out section challenges students to apply God’s Word to their lives personally, in their communities, and in the world around them. • Daily devotions expand on ideas from group sessions and help students engage with scriptural truth throughout the week. biblestudiesforlife.com/students

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE (Sample shown at 82% of actual size)

Simplicity: Finding Contentment in a Busy Life How to Know Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Will DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

Fall 2019

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES 1

1\ C lean design and modern aesthetic helps students engage with Scripture.

WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT?

2\ C lear flow guides students throughout the session, making it easy to engage with the content.

3\ E ach session is built around one central point, which is repeated on each spread throughout the session.

4\ C omplete Scripture

A Centered Life

The 3

POINT

gives students a full view of the passage being studied.

When your life is centered in Christ, everything else falls into place.

MATTHEW 6:25-34 4 25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more

Bible Studies for Life

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

FACT: Anxiety can confuse our sense of smell. People who worry a lot tend to perceive neutral smells as really stinky. 2

Some people never worry about anything. They’re carefree and nothing seems to bother them. Most of us, however, face a good number of challenges. Anxiety is the most common mental disorder in the US, and approximately 265 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder.1 Personally, there have been seasons in my life when it would have been fair to characterize me as an anxious person. I wanted to stop worrying. I knew Jesus had called me to remove worry from my life. But it was easier said than done. However, it’s important that we realize Jesus has given us the key. If our focus is on the world, then worry is often the result of things not going our way. But when we focus on Christ, everything changes! If things go well, we’re grateful and see it as a reason to give thanks and praise to God. If things go badly, we still know God is in control and can use the challenges to help us grow. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness above all other things. When we do this, we can trust that everything else will fall into place.

MATTHEW 6:25-30

1 Describe the relationship between faith and worry. 4 4

LEVELS 4 OF BIBLICAL LEARNING // HOLY SPIRIT Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us.

Session 1

2 What are some lies that cause worry to increase?

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES 1\ H eavily interactive

content helps students study Scripture and grow in community discussion.

Make the choice to put away worry. You are a beloved child, and God is faithful. #BSFLsimplicity

2\ T he Bible Meets Life is written directly to students to begin with a personal tone and direct connection through real-life situations.

3\ S ocial media options

MATTHEW 6:31-32

MATTHEW 6:33-34

3 List some ways people deal with worry in

6 What does Jesus promise in these verses?

4 When has God provided for you in an

What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?

their lives.

unexpected way?

5 How can remembering God’s faithfulness

help you deal with worry?

encourage students to share their faith publicly.

4\ Levels of Biblical Learning, which helps students grow in understanding foundational spiritual truths, is introduced at the beginning of every session.

5\ Powerful discussion questions, reflective activities, and interactive opportunities throughout help students understand and connect with God’s Word.

8 How can we follow Jesus’ instruction not to worry about tomorrow, yet still plan for the future?

6\ Progress bar on the bottom of the page creates an app-like aesthetic throughout.

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

Bible Studies for Life

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

LIVE IT OUT 1

LEVELS OF BIBLICAL LEARNING // HOLY SPIRIT Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us. We may be tempted to think that by living in obedience to God, our lives will be without trouble. However, this simply isn’t the case. Because of sin’s curse upon creation, we will face difficulties, and sometimes following Christ can bring even more trouble. Though we will experience worry or fear at times, the Holy Spirit ministers to us by: comforting us. opening our eyes to the character and truth of God. strengthening us to continue forward in obedience to God.

CHRIST GOD JESUS

Faith in Christ is foundational to our relationship with God. Faith is more than simply “believing.” True faith is belief plus an element of trust, which is then demonstrated in the ways we live.

FAITH = Belief + Trust + Action

HOLY SPIRIT BIBLE SALVATION CREATION CHURCH PEOPLE

FAMILY COMMUNITY & WORLD

Session 1

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES

COMMUNITY

1\ T he Levels of Biblical Learning statement is explained within the context of the session— students will learn how foundational truths apply in real life.

2\ L ive It Out section encourages students to live out God’s Word in their personal relationships with Christ, in their communities, and in the world around them.

Listen for others who are dealing with worry and find ways to support them.

10 Who is the friend you are going to share with?

11 What story will you tell?

Bible Studies for Life

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

DAILY DEVOTIONS

The 7 Arrows of

BIBLE READING

Day One

1 TIMOTHY 4:6 There are all sorts of false ideas floating around concerning the Christian faith. For example, many people think that in order to have a relationship with God, we only need to believe in Him—and if we share those “pass this on and you’ll get a blessing” posts, surely God will be super happy with us. The early church dealt with similar issues. Some taught falsely that human works, such as remaining unmarried and abstaining from certain foods, were necessary for salvation. However, the true gospel makes no such requirements. In order to be a good servant of Christ, we need to nourish our hearts and minds with the truth of Scripture, follow the things God reveals to us, and share the gospel with others. The blessings associated with salvation aren’t earned, but given by God as expressions of His love and grace.

What’s the best way to recognize false teaching? What does this passage say? What did this passage mean to its original audience?

What does this passage tell us about God?

Why is it so important to point out the truth to others?

What does this passage Tell us about man? What does this passage demand of me?

How does this passage change the way I relate to people?

How does this passage prompt me to pray?

Session 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES 1\ E ach week includes

Day Two

1 TIMOTHY 4:7

five days of additional daily devotions to keep students engaged in God’s Word throughout the week.

Day Three 2

1 TIMOTHY 4:8

2\ T hese devotions

What foolish myths about faith and religion do people believe today?

How is God calling you to “train yourself in godliness”?

encourage students to remain in God’s Word beyond group time and provide opportunities to dig deeper into the weekly lessons.

3\ T he Seven Arrows of Bible Reading direct students through seven questions that encourage a deeper engagement with God’s Word.

How have you devoted yourself to intense “training” in the earthly sense?

How can you apply the same kind of discipline to your spiritual life?

Bible Studies for Life

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

Day Four

1 TIMOTHY 4:8 This passage refers to a specific kind of physical training—namely, disciplining ourselves in terms of what we eat and how we express ourselves within marriage. False teachers said these were requirements for salvation, but Paul (who wrote this letter to Timothy) clearly pointed out that this isn’t true. However, he also acknowledged that there may be a little value to these things. Our fleshly appetites will tempt us to sin, and to practice disciplines of abstaining—such as fasting—can strengthen our willpower muscles and help us to resist future temptation. However, the true benefit isn’t found in the discipline itself, but in the result of the discipline—godliness. When we live by faith in Jesus and in obedience to Him, we will experience blessings in every way, not only today, but for all of eternity.

What sort of “training” do you practice to help you resist temptation?

Day Five

1 TIMOTHY 4:9-10

When have you experienced laboring and striving toward godliness? How have you experienced rewards in every way associated with godliness?

How has this contributed toward your benefit in every way (1 Tim. 4:8)?

Session 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

“Until you have given up your self to Him, you will not have a real self.” – C.S. Lewis

Bible Studies for Life helps students understand that life and faith are not separate. By starting with real-life circumstances, students are challenged to see the connection between theology and application. Levels of Biblical Learning provides the overall framework for the three-year Bible Studies for Life study plan. This framework helps to ensure that students grow in understanding foundational biblical truths at an age-appropriate level. Over the course of the study plan, Bible Studies for Life will challenge students to apply these biblical truths in their relationships with Christ, their church family, their peers, and in reaching others around them who do not know Jesus.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE STUDY PLAN, VISIT BIBLESTUDIESFORLIFE.COM/STUDENTS

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

LEADER GUIDE (Sample shown at 74% of actual size)

Simplicity: Finding Contentment in a Busy Life How to Know God’s Will DAILY LEADER DISCIPLESHIP GUIDEGUIDE

Fall 2019

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

LEADER GUIDE

WHAT DO YOU WORRY ABOUT?

A Centered Life

The

POINT

When your life is centered in Christ, everything else falls into place.

MATTHEW 6:25-34 3 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 25

seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But 28

Session 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES

FOR LEADERS (15 minutes) THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

LEVELS OF BIBLICAL LEARNING // HOLY SPIRIT

Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us.

1\ T he opening pages of the Leader Guide correspond directly with the Daily Discipleship Guide.

Message to Leaders

2\ T he central point around

Because of the curse of sin upon creation, we will, without a doubt, face all sorts of uncertainties, pressures, and troubles throughout our lives. When we depend on ourselves to deal with these, we’ll find we often fall short, and this produces a great deal of worry. However, if we depend on God to provide for us, we’re released from our worries and moved to deeper faith in Him. Among all the ways the Holy Spirit ministers to us are:

3\ The Scripture passage

comforting us when we experience fear and worry. opening our eyes to the character and truth of God. strengthening us to live in obedience to God, even when it’s difficult. As you lead students through this session, help them identify the role of the Holy Spirit in their living by faith, in their experiencing God’s comfort, and in their living a life of obedience.

Engage Option 1 5 Create two large targets (similar to a dartboard) on the floor using tape, and ask students to get into two teams. Give each team a set of plungers, and challenge them to throw the plungers at the targets for points. Each plunger that sticks to the target earns points. Say, “There are many distractions in this world, but if Christ is at the center of our lives, we can experience the blessings of being a part of God’s kingdom.”

which the session is centered is made clear.

is included in every session to give the leader a view of the full context.

4\ L eaders are given insights into how the Levels of Biblical Learning statement will apply throughout the session.

5\ Three engage options

For free online training videos on how to lead a group visit ministrygrid.com/biblestudiesforlife

to begin the session, including optional group activities or visual illustrations to introduce the central point each week.

Engage Option 2 Place a large poster board in the middle of the room and have students sit in a circle around the board. Ask each student to write down something that takes up a lot of their time (e.g., school, sports, video games, TV, etc.). Say, “We should evaluate our lives daily to make sure we are centered on Jesus and not losing sight of His will for our lives.”

Engage Option 3

LEADER PACK ELEMENTS If you have the optional Leader Pack, consider the following: ITEM 1: Introduce students to the unit by displaying the Simplicity Unit poster.

Search the Internet for “Jesus-Centered Life - YouTube - You know Jesus.” Play the video as you begin the session. Say, “Our lives should be centered on Christ making Him the priority above all else.” NOTE: Always make sure you preview any video clip you show students and ensure it is appropriate for your church and ministry.

Bible Studies for Life 5

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

LEADER GUIDE

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

THE SETTING Directly following His baptism and temptation in the wilderness, Jesus began doing ministry in Galilee, the northern, rural region of Israel. As He performed miracles, multitudes began to follow Jesus. On this particular occasion, with His disciples seated next to Him, Jesus shared the truth of God’s message with the many who were present. The Sermon on the Mount is perhaps the most well-known sermon ever preached, and it contains many practical truths related to life and faith, including how we are to deal with the worries we face.

If our focus is on the world, then worry is often the result of things not going our way. But when we focus on Christ, everything changes! If things go well, we’re grateful and see it as a reason to give thanks and praise to God. If things go badly, we still know God is in control and can use the challenges to help us grow. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness above all other things. When we do this, we can trust that everything else will fall into place.

FACT: Anxiety can confuse our sense of smell. People who worry a lot tend to perceive neutral smells as really stinky.2

Session 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES

IMPART (30 minutes)

1\ The Leader Guide contains the same Bible Meets Life material as the Daily Discipleship Guide, allowing leaders to easily engage with students.

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

MATTHEW 6:25-30

2\ T he main session

“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? MATTHEW 6:25-30 When I played baseball in high school, I primarily played third base, but I also pitched from time to time. After one particular game, my arm was really sore, and a trip to the doctor revealed that I had an overuse injury. The answer—rest. No baseball! This seemed like the end of the world to me. But my dad, who was wiser and older (and I trusted him more than anyone in the world), came to me with a simple message which helped me more than I realized—“It’s going to be all right, buddy.”

content is contained in concise and conversational sections within the Impart pages of the Leader Guide.

3\ All questions are numbered identically in the Leader Guide and the Daily Discipleship Guide to help leaders direct students as they follow along.

Leader: Ask students, “When have you had trouble understanding the perspective of someone older and wiser?” Also consider sharing your own example.

People tend to worry about a lot of things, and this is a picture of our hearts. When our focus is on the physical rather than the spiritual, we end up with the wrong state of mind, which leads to anxiety and worry. The problem is not when we have a concern for our physical needs, but when we let the physical take priority over the spiritual. Jesus was clearly telling us during the Sermon on the Mount that life is more than food and clothing.

However, when we struggle or face uncertain circumstances, simply putting worry away seems tough—even impossible. But it’s important that we recognize who spoke these words. The command came from the mouth of the Creator. The One who put the stars in place, who controls the oceans, who holds the world in the palm of His hand. He is the One who said, “Don’t worry!” When I couldn’t play baseball, I was devastated, but my dad knew better than I did what the future held, and he was right. Similarly, when we worry, it’s because we fail to see the big picture. We choose to focus on earthly things, and we fail to trust God as we should. But Jesus reminds us we have a heavenly Father who takes care of the birds and adorns the flowers, and He loves us even more than these. In spite of our sinfulness, the Creator of the universe— who has the power to take care of us—values us deeply. This wonderful truth should change our perspective and, therefore, cure any worry.

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE (P. 6)

1 2

Describe the relationship between faith and worry. What are some lies that cause worry to increase?

Bible Studies for Life

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LEADER GUIDE

IMPART THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

MATTHEW 6:31-32 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. MATTHEW 6:31-32 Without Christ, our minds are consumed with living the American dream—having the best and being the best. We look for identity and meaning in the things of this world. Great shoes, popularity, and remarkable talent aren’t bad things. In fact, they can be good things when we use them for God’s purposes. However, when we seek personal worth in these, even if we do achieve all we set our hearts on, we’ll find we come up empty. None of these things truly satisfy, and we’re left hungry for more. It boils down to a matter of trust, and without Christ, our trust is in the wrong place.

VERSE 32: According to Jesus, worry is a “Gentile” mindset. While we may sometimes equate “Gentile” with anyone who is not a Jew, more generally it refers to those who are outside the family of God. Those who are lost have every reason to worry about life. God is the source of all we need, and those with no trust in God have to trust in their own abilities to provide for their needs. When we place our faith in Jesus, we are trusting that He will meet our earthly needs, such as food and water, clothing and shelter. He’s also met our greatest need. Because of our sin, we were separated from God and deserving of His punishment. So He sent Jesus to pay the price for our sin, which we could never pay. Without Jesus, we would have endured God’s wrath for eternity, but He provided the answer because of His great love. Because of Jesus, we can trust God hears our requests (Ps. 66:18-20). Because He owns “the cattle on a thousand hills,” we can trust He will provide (Ps. 50:10). Because He always pursues our best interest, we can trust He will take care of us (Lam. 3:25-26). If there is a problem, it’s with us. It’s a faith problem. Worry is simply a product of not trusting God. The good news is we do not have to remain faithless! When we experience God’s faithfulness, our trust in Him grows and our worries tend to disappear. So get to know Jesus. Trust Him with your life. Make the choice to put away worry in light of the fact that you are a beloved child, and God is faithful.

1 Make the choice to put away worry. You are a beloved child, and God is faithful. #BSFLsimplicity

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE (P. 7)

3 4 5

Session 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

List some ways people deal with worry in their lives. When has God provided for you in an unexpected way? How can remembering God’s faithfulness help you deal with worry?

FEATURES

IMPART

1\ Tips and brief commentary give leaders great advice and insights for leading the sessions and engaging students.

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

MATTHEW 6:33-34 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. MATTHEW 6:33-34 My family lives in Baltimore, and we’re about two and a half hours away from the beach. Every year, we drive over with our kids, and one of their favorite things to do is collect seashells. Sometimes, the beaches are lined with shells of all shapes and colors. However, most of the time, we have to really hunt to find large, complete shells. When we think of seeking, what often comes to mind is hunting for hidden things. However, this isn’t what Jesus meant when He told us to “seek first.” The word Jesus used for “seek” means to desire and pursue. We are not seeking something hidden. We are pursuing the things God has clearly revealed, and we are called to do so with passion and as a matter of the highest priority.

Leader: Ask students, “When have you experienced ‘seeking’ after something, perhaps something hidden?”

VERSE 33: Jesus used the Greek word “zeteo” for seek—to desire or crave; reason about how to acquire the object of our desire. When we worry, there is no benefit whatsoever. A lot of the things we worry about never even happen, and all the worry was for nothing. And when tough situations do happen, instead of making it better, the worry usually makes it worse. Jesus taught that we are to refuse to worry about tomorrow—it doesn’t help anyway. Instead, we should concern ourselves with today, specifically, setting our hearts on Christ. We can think about tomorrow … tomorrow. This does not mean that if we seek God wholeheartedly, we will have whatever we want—at least, not in an earthly sense. In many parts of the world, there are countless believers who truly love Jesus and live in poverty. Jesus’ words do not promise prosperity, but they do promise God’s provision. Jesus also wasn’t teaching that we shouldn’t plan for the future. We are to be diligent about preparing for what may come and putting ourselves in a position to honor God for our whole lives. However, we must also accept that the future isn’t in our control. God is sovereign, and seeking Him first means doing our part to live in obedience and trusting Him with the rest. All people seek joy and fulfillment. God hasn’t hidden it from us—instead, He’s made it available in Jesus! If we set our hearts on earthly treasures, they will ultimately be destroyed or stolen. However, when our treasure is in heaven—when our greatest desire is God and His kingdom—we can trust that He’ll take care of everything else in our lives.

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE (P. 7)

6 7 8

What does Jesus promise in these verses? What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first? How can we follow Jesus’ instruction not to worry about tomorrow, yet still plan for the future?

Bible Studies for Life

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

LEADER GUIDE

LIVE IT OUT

(10 minutes)

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

CHRIST GOD

Faith in Christ is foundational to our relationship with God. Faith is more than simply “believing.” True faith is belief plus an element of trust, which is then demonstrated in the ways we live.

JESUS

HOLY SPIRIT

FAITH = Belief + Trust + Action

BIBLE SALVATION CREATION CHURCH PEOPLE FAMILY

CONFESS

MEMORIZE

In order to overcome worry, confess the areas in which you struggle to trust God. List your worries, and then cross through each as you give it over to God and allow Him to begin working in you.

Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33 this week. Write the verse in your journal, on a note card, or on your bathroom mirror, and continually remind yourself of God’s promise to provide.

COMMUNITY & WORLD

Session 1

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

FEATURES

LIVE IT OUT

1\ Leaders have access

to the same Levels of Biblical Learning and Live It Out sections as students to easily guide them in applying the truths of Scripture.

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

COMMUNITY

2\ The Levels of Biblical

Learning statement is explained within the context of the session— leaders will help students see how foundational truths apply in real life.

3\ The Live It Out section provides leaders with intentional ways to help students apply God’s Word personally, within Christian community, and in the world around them.

Listen for others who are dealing with worry and find ways to support them.

10 Who is the friend you are going to share with?

11 What story will you tell?

Bible Studies for Life

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

STUDENT PRODUCTS LEADER GUIDE The Bible Studies for Life: Students Leader Guide gives leaders clear direction and support by equipping them to lead discussion and disciple students. Each session provides commentary aimed at helping leaders better understand the Bible passages they are teaching.

Simplicity: Finding Contentment in a Busy Life How to Know God’s Will DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

Fall 2019

DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE The Daily Discipleship Guide helps each student engage with God’s Word in an intentional way during group study, as well as on their own. Includes five days of short devotionals to keep students engaged in God’s Word on their own throughout the week. LEADER PACK The Bible Studies for Life: Students Leader Pack is a useful tool to help leaders prepare, present, and support the group study each week. Details on how each item enhances the group experience are included in the Student Leader Guide. The Pack includes: a DVD-ROM with 3-to-5-minute videos to introduce and illustrate the point for each session throughout the quarter, posters, PowerPoint® templates, and PDF files of Live It Out and One Conversation™ for each session.

biblestudiesforlife.com/students 32

Visit the curriculum showroom in your local LifeWay Christian Store.

DIGITAL

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE FACT: Anxiety can confuse our sense of smell. People who worry a lot tend to perceive neutral smells as really stinky. 2

Make the choice to put away worry. You are a beloved child, and God is faithful. #BSFLsimplicity

MATTHEW 6:31-32

6 What does Jesus promise in these verses?

What does it look like to seek God’s kingdom first?

List some ways people deal with worry in their lives.

MATTHEW 6:25-30

Session 1

MATTHEW 6:33-34

1 Describe the relationship between faith and worry.

When has God provided for you in an unexpected way?

2 What are some lies that cause worry to increase?

How can remembering God’s faithfulness help you deal with worry?

8 How can we follow Jesus’ instruction not to worry about tomorrow, yet still plan for the future?

Bible Studies for Life

THE POINT // WHEN YOUR LIFE IS CENTERED IN CHRIST, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO PLACE.

ANNUAL DIGITAL BUNDLE Provides all the resources students and leaders need for an entire year of study.

Simplicity: Finding Contentment in a Busy Life How to Know God’s Will DAILY DISCIPLESHIP GUIDE

Fall 2019

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD An eBook that contains the same content as the Daily Discipleship Guide and Leader Guide, making reading and interacting with the session perfect on the go.

Fall 2019

biblestudiesforlife.com/students

APP Contains the same content as the Daily Discipleship Guide for both iOS and Android devices.

LifeWay Christian Resources One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, TN 37234

DOWNLOAD 3 ADDTIONAL SESSIONS FOR FREE ! BIBLESTUDIESFORLIFE.COM/FREEPREVIEW