Small Group Ice-Breaker
Have youth take turns finishing the following sentence: “The best thing that happened to me this week is…”
HOOK
1. Read Philippians 4:4-8
2. What do you do to relieve stress from worry in your life? (Pray, play, read, movie, tv, yell at someone)
LOOK AT THE BOOK
1. What does Paul say to do in verse 6? (Prayer devotion to God)
2. What would you say are the battles of every teen / middle schooler? Or at least what are the most common? Pressure from sports, school, peers, smoking, drugs, dealing, cheating, impure thoughts, selfishness, sexual purity, pornography (ROLLING STONE reports that for 19/20 year olds, porn stars have replaced the role that models previously held), drinking alcohol
3. What are the #1 #2 temptations/struggles?
4. What is it that makes them so appealing?
5. Pornography is more popular now than ever. What percentage of students at your school look at pornography? Why is it so popular?
6. Why is pornography so dangerous? (Hardcore porn promotes degrading / violent attitudes toward women. In porn, women are portrayed as objects. It can also become an addiction just like alcohol or tobacco, encourages lust, which is a sin. Matthew 5:28 states that, anyone who “looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her.” )
7. Without naming names, how many people know someone with a porn problem?
8. The Bible says your physical body is the Temple of God and should be treated as such. What does this mean our attitudes toward sex before marriage should be? Why? (AIDS/disease, unwanted pregnancy, the Bible instructs us to save our bodies for our future spouses. and if our bodies are God’s Temple (God dwells in us), then we should honor God’s will)
9. How “far” is it Ok to go with a boyfriend or girlfriend?
10. Why do guys have sex before marriage? (Macho) Girls? (Trade sex for self-esteem)
11. If you really love someone, does that mean it’s ok to have sex before marriage?
TOOK
1. What are some good ways for teens to deal with temptation and struggles? (Rely on God’s strength. Stay connected to Jesus as much as possible)
2. What must teens do to resist the temptation of porn and to have sex outside of marriage? (If it’s a problem, admit it, and ask for help. Make a commitment of sexual purity. Ask God for help.)
3. When we sin and guilt sets in over what was done, what should a teen do? (Ask forgiveness from God, accept forgiveness, don’t be overwhelmed with guilt. Talk to someone (pastor or parent)
CLOSING ACTIVITY
Give each person a small piece of paper. In silence, have each person write down all the things they struggle with as a temptation. Pray to God for help, and surrender the temptations to God. Gather together as a large group. Place the papers in a paper bag and burn them.
Say: “In spite of temptation, God calls us to live lives of purity and holiness. God makes it possible through Jesus Christ who breaks the power of sin in our lives.”
