What Have You Done? AG Teen Sunday School Manual.

Study 4:”What Have You Done?”

Contents

1 OUR MISSION
2 OUR VISION
- - - 2.0.0.1 Official Social Media Pages for crmnuggets.com

Text: 1 Sam 13:1-14; Romans 12:3

Key Verse: Romans 12:3

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the God has given you._ (NIV)

Focus

When Israel crowned King Saul, he was overwhelmed by his daunting assignment. After a few years, however, he felt himself as a first-among- equals and above the rules. He became much like most of the people regarded as heroes in sports, music, and movies, who are part of an extravagant lifestyle which our celebrity-obsessed culture constantly beams the spotlight on.

Many of your teens struggle with the same thing. They crave for attention and will do almost anything to get it. Others see themselves as experts on everything, and don’t hesitate to tell you how things should be done.

As you prepare for this study, ask the Holy Spirit to examine your heart. As a leader, teens are watching your life closely – even when you’re not sure they’re even listening to the lesson. It might be easy, after experiencing little success as a teacher, to try to do it on your own strength.

But remember Saul’s mistake of taking things into his own hands. Continue to seek God’s wisdom and strength to carry out your duties. Pray for your students this week. And ask God to use this study to help them avoid some of the pitfalls of leadership and keep their eye-and hearts -focused on Him.

The Basic Message: Explain to students…

WHATS THE BIG IDEA?

No one is exempt from following God’s rules.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Disregarding God’s commands exacta high price.

HOW DO I LIVE IT?

Focus on following what God has asked you to do, avoid hasty decisions,

and don’t make exscuses.

Activity Option: WHO NEEDS RULES?

Ask students what it means when someone says that “rules are made to be broken.” What happens when leaders think they are above the law?

Discuss examples of when this has happened.

Guide: Explain that initially, Saul didn’t see himself as “king material” (1 Sam 9:21). Later, he decided that, as a king, he could do things his way

rather than God’s way. The exchange he had with Samuel at Gilgal can teach us a lot about choices, roles, and serving God.

Study Overview: Explain that today’s study considers…

That selfish choices don’t honour God. That all we are, have, and accomplish is a result of God’s grace.

That making excuses won’t excuse us before God.

Inform and Discuss

_________________

a. Going Too Far

1. Read or have a volunteer read and summarize *1 Sam 13:1-10.* How can overstepping God’s boundaries lead to disaster? [Hint: God knows best. His boundaries were created for our protection and when we cross one, any number of problems can arise, regardless of our excuse. Also, disobeying God is sin.

Guide: Explain that not only were the people fearful of their fate such a formidable foe, but Saul may have felt that the welfare of the nation rested on him alone. But Israel’s welfare actually rested in God’s hands.

2. Why does excessive concern for others’ opinions frequently result in bad decisions? [Hint: Pleasing people moves your focus off God.

Attempting to please people can be very dangerous – especially if it comes at the expense of pleasing God.

Guide: Explain that King Saul may have had another motive: He didn’t

want to look foolish. So, he decided to take matters into his own hands -as a king, of course.

3. What are some ways we might be tempted to deal with issues our own way spiritually? What kinds of negative consequences can result from impatience? [Guide: Emphasize that waiting on God is never wasted time. He has perfect plan that He will reveal at the right time.

Waiting also is one of the tools God uses to build us up and impart in us the enduring virtues of patience and trust.

Note: Feeling pressured to prove yourself or giving in to doubt or impatience can be avoided if you stay focused on God and keep trusting Him. Never take your eyes off Him!!

b. Making Excuses

1. Read or have a volunteer read and summarize/Whom did Saul blame with each excuse? Are any of Saul’s excuses legitimate? Why or why not?

Hint: Instead of admitting his mistake and repenting, Saul offered explanation to justify his error. But when the prophet Nathan confronted David about his sin, David repented (2 Sam 12). Excuses never change a wrong to a right!

2. Read or have a volunteer read Rom 12:3. Why does God warn us about thinking too highly of ourselves?

Hint: Primarily, it takes Our focus and dependence off God and puts it on ourselves. It also causes us to be overly concerned about what others think, making us more prone to cave in to peer pressure. Ultimately, prides leads to selfish, foolish decisions that set us up for failure.

c. Paying the Price

1. Read or have volunteer read 1 Sam 13:13-14. What was the cost of Saul’s disobedience?

Guide: Explain that even though kingdoms are typically passed down through a family line, this would not be the case with Saul. Because he disobeyed, the kingdom would be stripped away from his family. The consequence of foolishly doing things our own way has serious repercussions on us and others.

Involve Them: MY PLACE

Distribute paper and pen or pencils, and direct students to list a few of the talents or skills that God has given them and some ways they can use them for Him.

Remind them that just as it was God who gave Saul his kingly appearance and placed him in the position to be king, it is God who gives each of us our talents, skills, and purpose. We have no reason to get arrogant or bigheaded because of any of those. The glory belongs to God.

inspire Them: Remind students “The Basic Message” of this study (pg 111), explain WHAT the Big ldea behind the study is; WHY it matters; and HOW we can live the lesson captured in the study.

invitation Option:* GOD’S FORGIVENESS

Step one in God’s plan for all of us is that we make Him the Forgiver of our sins and the Leader of our lives. Give students who don’t yet have a relationship with Jesus an opportunity to receive His forgiveness.

Encourage other students to reflect on some of their past decisions and present excuses. They may want to repent for any hasty decision they made and choose to follow God’s direction instead.

Ministry Activity: GOD’S FAVOUR

First Samuel 13:12 says that Saul desired to seek God’s favour. And while that’s a good thing, Saul disobeyed God’s instructions. Unlike Saul, we don’t have to wait for someone else to arrive before we can ask God for direction concerning His will for our lives.

Give students the opportunity to spend a few minutes in prayer, asking God for direction in using the abilities He has given them and the position He has placed them in to serve His purposes. Also encourage them to seek God’s wisdom for decisions or difficulties they currently face.

Conclude by reminding students that when we take matters into our own

hands, instead of trusting God, we put ourselves at risk. All God asks of us is

to do our part. We must learn to leave the rest up to Him.

Teacher Hint: Ask Yourself…_

1. Do students understand that doing things way instead God’s way can be costly?

2. Do they recognize the futility of making excuses instead of following God’s directions?

3. Do they realize that they should be humbly grateful for the abilities and opportunities God has given them?

Action Point

PS: I know you might agree with some of the points that I have raised in this article. You might not agree with some of the issues raised. Let me know your views about the topic discussed. We will appreciate it if you could drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.

Fact Check Policy

CRMNuggets is committed to fact-checking in a fair, transparent and non-partisan manner. Therefore, if you’ve found an error in any of our reports, be it factual, editorial, or an outdated post, please contact us to tell us about it.

Become Part Of our Fan Base on Facebook. Click Here.
Follow Us on Twitter. Click Here.
Many Crypto. One place. Use Roqqu

Hi, I now use RavenBank to send, receive and save money. I also pay my bills with ease, you should try it out too