After the talk, immediately give The Four Bracelets out and share how we can share our stories through the bracelets.

THE HEART – This is how I learned about Jesus and how he loves me.

THE DIVISION SIGN – I was separated from God. This is what my life was like before finding Jesus.

THE CROSS – But God died on the cross for my sins, my hurts, my past, and he has given me hope for my future and my present.

THE QUESTION MARK – I just needed to decide. That I would believe he was the Savior, The Messiah, and I needed to decide to follow him. I did and he has changed my life . . .

QUESTION is have you accepted him?

– Lori Dawe 

Follow up questions to the video: 

How do we portray ourselves to others, especially in social media?

What is true and what is false?

The CHOSEN has a great scene of this Bible passage. Watch it along with, or instead of reading the passage together.

Introduce the idea of writing a personal story or testimony with this 1 minute story idea. Have a variety of topics on pieces of paper (get fancy and roll up the paper and tie with string). The students choose a paper and then tell a 1 minute story about that topic. 

We're out of ideas for this one.  But this community thrives on ideas from our users.  So share an idea that you have for how to teach this study better and we will add it here for the rest of the community!

Excellent video that sums up what God says about us and how to find our identity in Christ.

Trevor Lawrence on his Identity in Christ.

Click here. This is a video of a guy destroying a barbie doll to communicate the point that who we are is more about our identity in Christ than how we look to the world.

Demonstrate using two volunteers and two T-shirts. One person plays the role of Jesus and wears a clean, white T-shirt. The second person plays the human with a white T-shirt with different sins written all over it. Walk out the verse using the volunteers. “God made him (the person in the clean, white T-shirt) who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God (the two exchange T-shirts, so that now the human has the clean shirt and Jesus is wearing the dirty shirt). Now explain that every time the believer sins, those sins get placed on Jesus. Demonstrate by writing sins from today on strips of paper with tape on the back. Point out the sin the person committed today and place that strip on the T-shirt that “Jesus” is wearing. Now have each person write on strips of paper with tape on the back some of their sins and have them go up to “Jesus” and place them on his shirt; “their” shirt remains clean.

You are sitting around at lunch with some friends talking about a big difference they have noticed in another friend Chen. He used to be so critical, sarcastic, and proud, they say. Now he is much kinder, encouraging and humble. You were with him when he made the decision to place his faith in Christ. How would you describe to the other friends the change that has taken place in him?

Give everyone in the group an index card. They should put their name on the top of the card. Have them write down three unique things about themselves. Have them turn the cards back into you. You will read the three things on the card to the group and have the group guess to whom the card belongs.

I AM (Activity)(beginning of study)

(Have some scrap paper available with some pens. Instruct students according to the instructions below. Encourage everyone to complete this activity as it will set the stage for the remainder of the study. You will refer back to this activity during the Making it Real segment.)

Instructions: Take out a piece of paper and a pen and listen up. At the top of the paper write the words “I AM:” Below that, I want you to show who you are. You can write a poem or a song. You can draw a picture. You can describe things you are proud of such as accomplishments or possessions, or you can simply list words that describe you. You will have about 10 minutes, so don’t be in a rush, but also don’t talk a bunch. Try to tap into your emotions and who you see yourself as. Maybe you write “I am: silly, fun, outgoing, confused!.” Whatever you come up with, that’s cool. Take a few minutes now and write who you are.

I AM (Activity) – continued (at end of study)

Look back at your “I AM” papers. I’m going to list some things, and if they are things that you wrote, drew, or described, I want you to cross them out.

Cross Out:

Possession you own: money, iPods, guitars, clothes, etc.

Personality traits you have: funny, outgoing, crazy, etc.

Sports you play: soccer, volleyball, baseball, etc.

Things you like: music, television, movies, YouTube, etc.

Physical Characteristics: color of hair, height, etc.

Where you go to school or live, your hangouts, family situation, etc.

Anything else that describes you still left on the page…grades, friends, etc.

At this point the only thing left on their page should be “I AM.” Make sure they’ve crossed out the rest of their self-descriptions, and then say the following:

I want you to look at your page and notice what is left. Once you realize that you are not defined by your name or your family, once you realize your definition is not from what you do at school or what sports you play, once you know that your personality is not what gives you purpose, the only thing left on your page is “I Am.”

This is the name God gives Himself when asked by Moses who He is (See Exodus 3), and He is the reason we have value and purpose and identity. You are loved by the God of the universe, and nothing can take that away.

Romans 1:6 says that “you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” You’re not called to be a soccer star, a comedian, a beauty, a genius, or a celebrity. You are called to belong to Jesus.

That is the Truth about you.

Take some sidewalk chalk and go outside with your group. Find a driveway or sidewalk. Have each group member take a section of the driveway or a square of sidewalk and write truths about their identity from the study that were most important to them. Allow them to creatively decorate their section. Observe each other’s work.

This is one of the best illustrations we use that really brings home the issue of eternal perspective.  Try showing this video, or just do the illustration yourself!

We aim to “live for the line” in all we do and glorify God by investing in the things that will last for eternity. To learn more living in light of eternity—we invite you to watch this short, 2 minute video.

My idea goes with Francis Chan’s rope illustration/video. Instead of the rope with the red at the end. I used rope with a knot. At the end, I passed out twine for each student and had them tie the knot and then tie it to their wrist. “When you get obsessed with your life. Or consumed with what is going on, just remember, It’s only the knot.

– Lori Dawe

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