September 18 - Middle School
What we’re learning this week:
As we conclude our series Walking with Jesus series, we are going to look at Jesus’ words while he was on trial with the high priest. Jesus’ claims of being the Messiah ultimately led to his sentencing of death on the cross. As we walk through this scene, we will be confronted with the reality that Jesus did what he said he would do and invites us to follow him with our lives. Students will be given the opportunity to place their faith in Jesus for the first time in response to tonight’s message.
Bottom Line: Jesus is either the Messiah or he isn’t, but he cannot “kind of” be.
Scripture: Mark 14:60-64, Mark 10:45
Small Group Time:
Tonight’s small group discussion is a big one because we are unpacking who Jesus is and how we have (or haven’t) responded to him in our lives. If you want to highlight the significance of the conversation, consider beginning with prayer before jumping into the discussion. Also make sure to follow up with any students who came forward to say yes to Jesus – even if it’s simply identifying who made commitments so you can follow up throughout the next month!
Before we begin our discussion, is there anyone in the group who decided to follow Jesus for the very first time tonight? *If yes, cheer and celebrate that!
Jesus claimed to be the Messiah – the savior of the world: In your own words, what did Jesus save us from?
What’s the difference between seeing Jesus as “kind of” the messiah and completely the messiah?
Practice: Throughout the series, we’ve been asking, “Who is this?” about Jesus. Take some time, close your eyes, and be quiet… Who is Jesus to you? How would you describe Jesus in one word? Jesus is ____.
How is it going reading through the book of Mark? What have you learned about Jesus that has stuck out to you? When do we want to be totally finished with it?
Small Group Covenant Instructions
Instructions for small group:
Tell your students what commitments you are making to them
Present what ideas you might have for them to commit to
Give space for brainstorming and writing them down
Have everyone sign it
Pray together as a group
Next week preview:
Next week we begin a new series called “Prince of Peace”. During this series, we will dive into the reality that Jesus desires to give us peace when we are distracted, anxious, or afraid. Throughout the series, students will be encouraged and challenged to spend regular time in prayer.
Extra Info
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Don’t forget about the Lifeline Leader Toolkit. To learn more about this, check out this information page.
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If you’d ever like to reference the Lifeline handbook, we have a digital version of that available here on our website.
