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celloutlines | overview The theme of the next four weeks’ cell outlines is the Cut it Out campaign. More specifically the aim of the next few weeks is to acknowledge that human trafficking wouldn’t happen if there weren’t certain demands and fuelling behaviours – especially for sexual exploitation. As Christians, part of our fight for justice against trafficking is taking a stand against paying for sex. However, we need to take it further than this – we need to realise that there are other lifestyle choices that can lead up to this point and that are tangled up in the action of paying for the services of a prostitute, and that therefore we aren’t as far away from sexual exploitation as we might think. For example, paying for the services of a prostitute would require somebody to objectify another person’s body – not seeing them as God’s child but as a tool for their own ends. As Christians we need to think about how we view and sometimes objectify others. Watching pornography not only objectifies others but has also been proven to normalise violence in sexual experiences –something else that is rife in the services demanded of victims of trafficking. We therefore need to be real with our young people about considering the temptations thrown at us in life and what behaviours are worldly and contribute to the demand for sexual exploitation, even if we ourselves would never consider paying for the services of a prostitute. This is about realising the links between these actions and taking a stand against them. A person might know they are never going to pay for a prostitute, but if they happily watch porn or go to a strip club with their mates, then they aren’t taking a direct stand against all of this either. Not to mention that it’s hardly likely Jesus would have watched porn. In all of this, though, we need to acknowledge that this is tough; temptation is difficult and often encountered. We live in a world that gives us very different messages about sex. However, we are not alone in all of this; and the Bible has wisdom for us, so it’s important we look at this too. In every session please remember one key thing: these sessions are about asking difficult questions and being thought-provoking. They are NOT about giving answers and preaching about right and wrong. Shoving rules down people’s throats is not the answer, but it is vital that we are a church that isn’t afraid to approach this topic and encourage our young people to make difficult decisions to live holy lives. The next four cell outlines cover the following themes: • Introduction – what’s my lifestyle got to do with it? – Living God-centred lives • Bodies (ours and others’) and Identity • Lust and Temptation
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• Where now? – Resisting temptation, living differently, fighting injustice
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cut it out
celloutlines | week one These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources
What’s my lifestyle got to do with it? / Everything we do should be Christ-centred. Welcome A. Game: Below is a list of people and their estimated ‘values’. Either get the group to guess the numbers for each person, or give the numbers and names mixed up and get the group to match them to each other. • Lionel Messi – net worth $110million. Earnings: £27.5million in 2012 • Wayne Rooney – net worth $72million. Earnings: £17.2million in 2012 • Cristiano Ronaldo – net worth $160million. Earnings: £24.3million in 2012 • Barack Obama – net worth $10.5million. Annual salary: $400,000 • Lady Gaga – net worth $150million • Eminem – net worth $120million • Mike Tyson – net worth $1million • J.K. Rowling – net worth $1billion • George Lucas (Star Wars and Indiana Jones film producer) – net worth $3.25billion • Giorgio Armani – net worth $7billion B. Watch the LZ7 ‘27 Million’ music video (eg, www.youtube.com/watch?v=K69NdzPvwj0 or www.youtube.com/ watch?v=K0L7NH48BWE). You could use one of the following videos if you want to but you may feel they are quite heavy to introduce the subject of trafficking. • ‘In Her Shoes’ - A21 campaign (from their website www.thea21campaign.org)
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• ‘Be Her Freedom’ - A21 campaign (from their website)
Word A. Following on from the game get the group to mindmap/brainstorm what they know about trafficking – encourage them to include anything they know but try to include the following to lead into part B: • Different types of trafficking • Why it happens – eg, greed for money, demand for paid sex etc. • What The Salvation Army is doing about it • What perhaps it has to do with us B. ALOVE’s Cut it Out campaign opens our eyes to the large quantity of advertising of brothels, some of which will be using trafficked victims. Without demand for the services of a prostitute there would be no trafficking of people for sexual exploitation. It’s easy for us to think: ‘I know I’m not going to sleep with a prostitute so what’s this all got to do with me?’ What we perhaps don’t realise is that having sex with a trafficked person is at the continued over >>>
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celloutlines | week one (continued...) extreme end of a scale of actions – there are lifestyle choices that we can make that perhaps aren’t as far away from trafficking as we may think. There are actions that others do that can lead up to the point of wanting to use the services of a prostitute – actions that might and actually most likely will be offered to us to partake in. Use the ‘Scales’ resource to discuss with the group about actions that relate on a scale – there’s a more lighthearted one to use to get the group thinking and demonstrate this a bit more before using the trafficking scale. C. So this is a message of hope, really – decisions we make about our lifestyle are in a way taking a stand against some of the ‘wordly’ things that lead to trafficking… and that is a big deal! By living differently for God we can fight trafficking without perhaps even realising it. We are going to look further at some of these lifestyle choices in future weeks, but first let’s look at what the Bible says about being Christ centred. Split the group into pairs and divide the following passages amongst them to read and discuss (The Message version is recommended): • Romans 12:1-3 • Ephesians 4:17-24 • 1 Peter 1:13-16 • 1 Peter 2:9-12 • Ephesians 1:11-12 Discuss as a group: • Their initial responses to the Bible verses. • How easy/difficult is it to live with God at the centre of everything / a ‘God-fashioned life’? • Are there parts of our lives that are more easy/difficult to focus on God?
Worship Play a song that talks about God being the centre of our lives and everything we do being about him. Suggestions:
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• ‘Lifesong’ by Casting Crowns • ‘This Little Light’ by LZ7 • ‘By Our Love’ by Christy Nockels • ‘Everything’ by Tim Hughes • ‘Be thou my vision’ • ‘Everyday Thing’ by Andy Mineo • ‘War’ by Trip Lee • ‘You are Everything’ by Matthew West
Witness Ask the group to spend a few minutes on their own thinking, and to write down how much their lives have God at the centre, which parts are really Christ-like and which parts need some work. Also ask each individual to consider and perhaps challenge themselves to change one thing. Put the notes in individual sealed envelopes (and don’t look at them or lose them – we’ll come back to them).
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Seeing the cake
Smelling the cake
Tasting a tiny bit of icing
Telling yourself a tiny piece won’t hurt
Having a large piece Having a small piece
Having a second piece
Where do you place the following on the scale?
Repeatedly sneaking to the fridge to look at the cake
Eating a whole cake that you shouldn’t
Watching pornography
Having casual sex
Deciding sex is no big deal and not precious
Making jokes that devalue the opposite sex
Objectifying people of the opposite sex
Going to restaurants/ shows that purposefully use sexual appeal, eg, going to Hooters / music gigs with sexual imaging
Not considering or caring what the Bible says on temptation and lust
Not being aware of the sexual influences in society such as: TV shows with lots of casual sex, advertising and famous people performing in skimpy outfits and suggestive dance routines
Reading pornographic material
Remember there is no right or wrong – it’s just to get the group thinking about these life choices.
Going to a strip club
Try to get the group to think about this and add ideas on to the scale before suggesting the following:
Paying for the services of a prostitute who might be a victim of trafficking
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celloutlines | week two These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources
Bodies and identity Last week we looked at living lifestyles that are God-honouring in every way. We touched upon some decisions in life that we need to make because, as we read in the Bible and discussed, God calls us to give our whole lives to him and to stand apart from the world in doing so. As part of ALOVE’s Cut it Out campaign (and as Christians) we need to make decisions about the choices others make that can lead to fuelling the demand for trafficked victims for sexual exploitation. This week’s cell is all about how we view others, especially their bodies. It’s also about being honest with ourselves about how much we value image – in others and in ourselves.
Welcome Activity: Everyone in the group cuts out articles and pictures in magazines that say something about how to view bodies and that might influence the way we see our own bodies or others’ bodies – for example, models, articles about beauty tips, adverts with sexual connotations. Make sure everyone has a few pictures. Hand out the labels that can be found in the resource section and ask each person to label the pictures. Ask the group whether this changed their reaction to the pictures or what immediately came to mind before and after labelling the pictures. Do they think that these kinds of pictures influence their views about others or themselves?
Worship Get everyone to draw an outline of a person and encourage them to start thinking about what they rely on for their identity – positive and negative – and draw/write this on their own picture. Suggestions to consider if needed: • Other people’s opinion • Image/stereotypes
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• Attraction/beauty • Intelligence/school work/job • God/faith • Friendships • Family • Situations that have shaped us • Wealth • Personality traits – eg, being funny • Gifts/talents
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celloutlines | week two (continued...) Word A. Ourselves Verses to read: • Genesis 1:27 • 1 Peter 3:3-4 • 1 Corinthians 6:13b-17 • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 • Acts 17:28 • Psalm 139:13-14 • What is the Bible saying about our identity? Which parts are perhaps easier to accept and which are harder? • Do we ever think of ourselves as God’s creation / piece of amazing design? Do we treat ourselves accordingly? • Should and how can we outwardly project that our bodies are a temple filled with the Holy Spirit? B. Others Verses to read: • 1 Peter 1:22 • 1 Peter 5:6-9 • Matthew 5:28 • Romans 12:10 • What are the verses saying about the way we should view each other? • Being honest, do we always view each other the way God does? • Can we view others as God’s creation and love them with brotherly/sisterly love and also view them as objects of appeal / sexual objects?
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• What things do we perhaps use too much to define and judge each other? For example – hot or not, clothes, money, job. • How does it feel to be objectified ourselves or to think about other girls or boys being objectified? - Consider specific situations: for example… • How do we feel about magazine articles? • How do we feel about objectifying strippers? • What can we do to prevent ourselves from being objectified and objectifying others?
Witness Get the group to look back at the individual diagrams they created in the worship session. Challenge the group to consider what God might want them to change. Is there something they can challenge themselves to change or to do? (Be creative with it.) For example: reminding others that they are beautifully made, or putting a Bible verse/sign above their own mirror reminding them they are beautifully crafted by God and made in his image.
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God’s child Made in God’s image Labels: (for welcome)
Made by God’s hand Daughter of God
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Designed by God
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celloutlines | week three These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources
Lust and temptation NB It’s really important that the group are challenged to be honest about the things in today’s cell group. It is not about judging them, telling them what’s right – there are no wrong answers. The key is raising issues that they might not have considered in light of being a Christian, to challenge them to think about what situations they might find themselves in (if they haven’t already) and to consider their options and what they think they should do as Christians. You might not agree with them, but it’s about asking the questions, not about getting the answers you want.
Welcome A. Use one or a mix of the following to look at the messages society gives us about sex, lust, temptation, pornography etc. There are LOADS of clips that you could use, but if you’re stuck there are suggestions below: • TV/film clips • Music videos – ‘Down for whatever’ by Kelly Rowland • TV adverts – Lynx adverts • Song lyrics – ‘Rudeboi’ by Rhianna B. Discuss as a group the following two things (you could write down/mindmap/make posters): • What society tells us about sex, image, lust, temptation. • What friends or others around us might do or say that puts temptation in our lives. C. Read the ‘thoughts-words-actions’ sheet.
Word (It would be helpful to split the group into girls and boys for this part, if you have the leaders available.)
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A. Look at the following facts – ask the group for their immediate responses. • The single largest group of internet pornography consumers is young people aged 12-17. • One in three 10-year-olds have seen pornography online. • 81% aged 14-16 regularly access explicit photographs and footage on their home computers. B. We’ve talked a little before about scales of actions and how one temptation can lead on to another (remember Cell 1). Discuss how everyone feels about this. Use the following questions, if helpful, for the discussion. Of course you need to be wary of being age and group appropriate, but equally don’t just assume younger youth don’t need to talk about the more difficult questions – especially given the facts above. • Do they think it’s something they need to be aware of? • Do they agree that these sorts of actions are on a scale and therefore can lead to actions that might seem extreme? • Leading on from the previous question, do they see pornography as dangerous? Unhealthy? Unhelpful? A step towards distorting how they might want to view sex or how they should/would like to view sex? Is some porn worse than others, or something that should be altogether avoided? continued over >>>
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• How do they view sex? Imagine that ‘no sex before marriage’ isn’t part of being a Christian – how would they view sex? As precious? No big deal? For serious relationships or not? (Encourage the group to be honest about this; it’s not about the ‘after marriage’ debate, it’s about being honest with ourselves about whether what the world often tells us is helpful/truthful etc.) • Are sexually stimulating materials less dangerous when you’re married? • Should it be only your wife/husband that you are turned on by? • Do they see all this as relevant to them or not? • Is it something they’ve considered before? • How important is it to make decisions before situations of temptation arrive? If you have time, discuss what we do that perhaps could put temptation in the way of others – think back to Week 2 and the magazine activity. If we think of the boys/girls we fancy, the other people at school/work, on a night out etc, as our brothers/sisters in Christ and as children of God, would we be any different around them?
Witness Think about some of the following situations and what would be tempting to do, or what the group feel they should do, and what all the options are. • You’re going on a stag/hen night where you know strippers will be involved. • A bunch of friends are going to Hooters (restaurant based on female sex appeal) and invite you to go. • Your mates suggest watching pornography. • You’re hanging out with friends and one of them brings out a lads mag. • Your friend lends you Fifty Shades of Grey (pornographic novel) and suggests you read it because it’s what everyone is talking about. • Your friends are chatting about their sexual accomplishments / the base system.
Worship Watch one/some of the videos suggested below. • L27 27 ‘27 Million’
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• ‘In Her Shoes’ - A21 campaign (from their website) • ‘Be Her Freedom’ - A21 campaign (from their website) Look at some of the photos – ‘real men don’t buy girls’ (demiandashton.org/realmen) – there have been a few famous ones and quite a few on Facebook. It’s important to end this week being real. This stuff is difficult, the devil knows what he’s doing with temptation and, let’s be honest, as Christians there’s a lot of things out there with a different message from the Bible and sometimes it’s hard to recognise the difference. BUT we are not alone! Give out the Bible passages (see handout) for the group to reflect on and pray about alone or together. You might want to end the cell in prayer, asking God to give wisdom, strength, guidance, his Holy Spirit and to take temptation from us – remember Jesus prayed ‘Lead us not into temptation’!
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Resources Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
Bible verses (English Standard Version) With God all things are possible. Matthew 19:26
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
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1 Corinthians 10:13
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cut it out
celloutlines | week four These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources
Where now? – Resisting temptation, living differently, fighting injustice Welcome The main part of the welcome is to share food together – something that is Fairtrade. This is because we are thinking this week about where we might go now in our individual journeys, and widening the theme out beyond sexual temptation. Buying Fairtrade products is certainly one way we can be ethical and stand for justice. Use something from the list below if you want to keep it simple, or you could be more imaginative and make something with Fairtrade ingredients: • Chocolate – eg, Divine, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, Green and Black’s, etc • Fairtrade bananas and other fruits • Ice cream – eg, Ben and Jerry’s, Green and Black’s • Fairtrade vegetables • Fairtrade tea and coffee – eg, CaféDirect If you want to be imaginative the following website is really helpful: www.fairtrade.org.uk/products/recipes.aspx If you wanted you could maybe watch or rewatch a video from Week 1, or put on some music that is about living differently / Christ being at the centre of our lives – again refer to Week 1 for suggestions.
Word Discuss and mindmap the following two topics:
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1. What we can do to live differently as people who want to be Christ-centred. Use the following Bible verses and questions to stimulate the discussion: • Think back to last week – what do we think we might want to avoid if we want to be more Christlike? • What can we do about the messages we are fed by society? • Realistically it would be pretty impossible to watch no TV, never listen to secular music and walk around with our eyes and ears closed. But would it help just to be more aware and guarded, knowing the difference between what the world says and what the Bible says? • Think about the situations we talked about last week: are there decisions we want to make now before these temptations arise? • How can we help each other? Being accountable? Praying for each other?
Bible Verses 1 Peter 5:7 – ‘Cast all your anxiety on him, for he cares for you.’ 1 Peter 5:8-9 – Self control continued over >>>
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celloutlines | week four (continued...) 1 Peter 5:10 – God strengthening us Ephesians 5:1-4 – be imitators of God, no sexual immorality Ephesians 6:10-18 – put on the armour of God 1 Corinthians 6:18 – sexual immorality 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 – sexual immorality James 5:13-20 – accountability and praying for each other 1 Peter 1:18-25 (The Message version recommended) – in light of Christ’s sacrifice, live a life in deep consciousness of God 1 Peter 1:17 (The Message version recommended) – God’s help 1 Peter 2:9-12 (The Message version recommended) – don’t be of this world but be a witness 1 Peter 3:13-18 and 1 Peter 4:12-19 – take courage through trials 1 Peter 3-5: (The Message version recommended) - now live lives that are not ‘God-ignorant’ Romans 12:12 (The Message version recommended) – pray consistently Matthew 6:9-13 – the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Lead us not into temptation’ Luke 22:40 – pray not to be led into temptation Proverbs 27:17 – accountability John 15:1-17 – remain in Christ’s love – he is the vine, we are the branches and must love one another Matthew 26:41 – watch and pray against temptation 1 Corinthians 10:13 – you will not be tempted above what you are able to bear Romans 8:26 – the Spirit helps us in our weakness 2. What we can do more widely to fight injustice/trafficking/exploitation, eg, buy Fairtrade products, campaign, use the Superbagder app on Facebook etc. Refer to the ALOVE Cut it Out campaign and resources. Relevant Bible verses:
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• Isaiah 1:17 • Micah 6:8 • Proverbs 31:8-9
Worship Use this as a time to encourage and pray for each other. You may want to use the following music and videos to think about living differently and the fight for justice. • ‘History Maker’ – Delirious • ‘God of Justice’ – Tim Hughes • ‘Jesus Freak’ – Newsboys • ‘Rebel’ – Lecrae • ‘Shadows’ – David Crowder continued over >>>
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If you wish you could also refer back to Week 1 and the songs that talk about being Christ-centred. You could also refer back to the encouraging Bible verses from last week.
Witness Allow the worship time to lead into a time of personal reflection over the last four weeks. Return the envelopes from Week 1 to each individual. Ask them to reflect, think, pray and write about this. Have their perspectives changed? Has God spoken to them about anything in the last few weeks or have they been challenged by anything? Are there decisions that the individuals want to make now about the future / lifestyle choices? How do they feel they want to go forward? – this could be anything from praying more or strengthening their relationship with God to more actively fighting for justice or joining the ALOVE Cut it Out campaign – there’s a whole range of ways people may have been challenged.
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• Lifehouse ‘Everything’ drama/skit – type into YouTube to find a selection of this drama.
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