CHAOS/BE STILL
By Lee De Groot
OUTLINE
I. Youtube: William Tell Overture-Momisms by Anita Renfroe
II. Questions to ask yourself
III. Activity
IV. Side Effects-Ecc 5:3, Prov 14:30
V. Consequences-II Cor 5:10
VI. Questions to ask the Lord
VII. Activity-Optional
VIII. Bible Verses: Psalm 39:5-7, Matt 11:28, 29
IX. Review and time to think
X. Challenge and Bible Verse: Psalm 46:10
XI. Prayer
Activity:
Watch youtube.com William Tell Overture Momisms by Anita Renfroe
REACTIONS:
Did any of this sound familiar? Thank your mom's when you get home!
We all live way to busy of lives. God does not tell us to just sit around and be lazy. God want us to find and use our talents, however, there is a balance we need to find in this crazy, chaos we call life.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:
1. What am I giving my attention to?
2. What keeps me busy?
*TV, movies
*Gaming
*Social Media-face book, twitter, texting, instagram, vines
*Vines or you tube
*sports-track, gymnastics, swimming, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, football, wrestling, hockey, rugby, tennis, taekwondo, lifting
*music-piano, violin, orchestra, drum line, jazz band, marching band, regular band, choir, swing choir, tours
*work
*homework-regular assignments, procrastination on papers, extra credit,
*cars-washing, waxing, stereos, over-hauling
*riding around
*shopping
*boyfriend/girlfriend
*fighting with parents
*dance, flags, cheer-leading, drill team
*play practice, drama, speech
*intramural, debate, student council, quiz bowl, envirothon, science fair
*4-H, live stock judging team, fair queen
*Church, Youth group, Bible Studies, TEC, Serve Trips, Catechism, Praise Team
*peer pressures
*popularity-friends
ACTIVITY:
In a large box, place a group of items that represent many things that kids in your group involve themselves in:
Sport equipment Videos Social Media
Gaming systems Phones time card for work
Magazines cell phones school books/homework
TV Guide computer mouse family picture
Music books drama book hobby items
Anything else that may apply to your group’s interests.
Start by placing a Bible on the floor opened to Matt. 6:33. For starters ask the group what sports they enjoy playing. When they answer pull the corresponding object from the box and toss it onto the Bible. Continue the interaction, asking what classes they like the best, how they prefer to spend their leisure time, what are their school extra curricular activities, what they do at home, whatare their jobs, who their family is, etc. Each time grab the appropriate object from the box and toss it onto the pile (which by now has probably covered the Bible completely). After you do this for a while ask, “What happened to God?” The answer – obviously is that God got buried under all the stuff. Once you establish that fact pull out the Bible from the stack and read Matt. 6:33 and ask. “What would happen if you put the Bible or God on top of the pile all the time?” “Would that change anything?”
SIDE EFFECTS TO BUSYNESS:
1. Being too busy cuts into our sleep.
"Being too busy gives you nightmares." Ecclesiastes 5:3
2. Being too busy makes us unhealthy. It can cause us to have headaches, stomach aches, anxiety and depression.
"A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body." Proverbs 14:30
3. Being too busy can cost us our relationships with others and God.
"If you're too busy to spend time with God, then you're too busy!" If we don't spend regular, quality time with those we love-- including God--our relationships will be shallow, meaningless, and unfulfilling".
CONSEQUENCE OF BUSYNESS:
The Bible indicates that we will eventually answer to God for what kept us busy while we lived on this earth.
"For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive his pay according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil considering what his purpose and motive have been, and what he has achieved, been busy with, and given himself and his attention to accomplishing." 2 Corinthians 5:10
*Re-read these verses so they really get this! God will ask each of us on Judgment day what we were busy doing!
QUESTIONS TO ASK THE LORD:
1."What do you want me to change?
2. “What would you have me leave alone?"
Jesus told His disciples, "We must work the works of Him Who sent Me and be busy with His business while it is daylight." John 9:4
*Notice Jesus said that WE must be busy with God's business. Again, this is a warning to all of us!
ACTIVITY: (IPOD, paper, pen, optional-a CD player-this could be fun for those kids that are into electronics)
Make your own rendition of "William Tell Overture Teenager-isms". From the kids' individual lists make a master list of what makes your group busy in a given week. With someone's IPOD have one of the leader’s video tape each student yelling out or singing out one of the activities until the list is done. If you really want to be creative you can choose to do it to back ground music of the original William Tell's Overture. It could be kind of fun to have it then put on youtube! Option...a "techy" kid could take this home and put it together and show it at the next meeting.
Look back at your lists and/or the video...then look at the list below...where were these activities on your lists and how much time did you spend on each activity in a week?
*Personal Devotions
*Prayer
REVIEW AND TIME TO THINK:
Every child of God has an earthly assignment and purpose, and it's up to us to discover it and perform it as we walk in close fellowship with Him on a daily basis. David wrote:
"My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to You; human existence is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth for someone else to spend. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in You." Psalm 39:5-7
"All our busy rushing ends in nothing." Psalm 39:6
"Where do I put my hope?" Psalm 39:7a
David recognized that his life on earth would be brief, and that apart from God it would be meaningless.
If you are living an overly-busy lifestyle, the Lord is calling you to make some changes, and He doesn't expect you to make them alone. He says:
"Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace." Matthew 11:28, 29
*Note the words..."Come to me"-we need to come to Him not the other way around. "Get away with Me"-God wants us to find a quiet place away from our busy lives to be with Him. "You'll recover your life"-then we will find our ordained purpose for our lives. "I'll show you how to take a real rest"-I wonder what that would feel like...to have God show me how to rest. "Walk with me"-notice it does not say run with me. "Learn the unforced rhythms of grace"-Do we not know the unforced rhythms of grace?
We all have a purpose and we need to come to our Lord, get away with Him, and we need to walk closely with our Him so we know what our true purpose is on this earth. This walk will grow and mature as we spend personal time with Him. We need to take time out of our busy days and weeks and we need to learn to be still. He will teach us to really rest in Him. We will all be judged for how we spend our time. Judgment day is not a group thing...we will be alone with God on our judgment day answering to Him alone. However, this does not have to be a scary time because Jesus asks us to come to Him and walk with Him and He will walk with us. We need to remember it is the Christian Walk not the Christian Run! Slow down!
Are you tired? Is your life in chaos? Do you have peace? Do you know your purpose? Have you talked to God lately? Have you sat quietly and listened? Do you come to Him? Do you get away with Him? Do you walk with your Savior on a daily basis? Where do you put your hope?
CHALLENGE:
Spend some time in your Savior's presence and in His Word, and let Him teach you how to follow in His footsteps of purpose, passion and peace!
“Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
PRAYER: Lord, show me how to choose my priorities wisely so that they will always be in line with Your will. Please don't let me live a life of busyness that will rob me of my health, my peace of mind, and my relationships. Help me to be still. Thank You that as I give You first place in my life and live Your way, I will discover the earthly assignment and purpose that You have ordained for me. Help me to perform this purpose and walk in a close relationship with You, Lord on a daily basis. In Jesus' name. AMEN!
****ANOTHER OPTION****
BUSY BUSY BUSY/AT THE FEET OF JESUS-LUKE 10:38-42
By Lee De Groot
How many of you feel busy? Perhaps even stressed?
PRAY: PRAY OUT LOUD ALL AT THE SAME TIME. TELL GOD WHAT IS STRESSING YOU. IF YOU ARE NOT BUSY AND YOU HAVE NO STRESS THANK HIM.
ICE BREAKER/AVTIVITY: poster board, sharpies-15 minutes
Small Groups…On the top of the poster board write Sunday-Saturday. Think of your week. Getting ready, eating, school, chores, family time, homework, work, sports, volunteering, music, drama, and speech, social media, FFA, 4-H, hunting,….your daily schedules. Now write these activities under the days that you do them each week…be honest!
Large Groups…break into groups of 3-4. And do the same but as a group.
SHARE: ask for volunteers. Come up front and explain the schedule.
VIDEO:-3.25 minutes
Watch youtube.com William Tell Overture Momisms by Anita Renfroe a mother of 3 and pastors wife.
Did any of this sound familiar?
Several years ago I was sent this video from a lady in my home town. She and I did not hang out and I really wouldn’t call us friends but our kids knew each other. She said it reminded her of me and my family. I guess after watching it I could understand…however, I have 5 children, and at the time I added 2 dogs and 2 cats to the bunch and I was working two jobs putting my husband through seminary getting his masters which took about 10 years. At this point I had one son in his SR year of HS, I had one son in his 8th grade year, I had one son just entering Jr High in the 6th grade, I had another son in his first full time year of school-1st grade. And my only daughter was in preschool. I remember days where I literally was running in every direction with three sons in football, three in track, two in soccer, one on a traveling basketball team, three in Taekwondo, three in band and choir, and then I had my two youngest needing help with reading, spelling words, Bible verses, and piano lessons. I recall a particularly busy day where I was running and quickly asked my preschooler if she had her show and tell and in the same conversation I yelled out the door to my oldest son who was heading out for the night on a date…”Do not show and tell.”
LIFE IS BUSY!
I remember a few years back under my breathe I mumbled “Im so stressed.” One of my boys heard me and said “Mom? What does that feel like?” He’s now in college and Im sure he may have experienced that feeling a time or two. Another time I mentioned I was tired…and again one of my boys reacted with “Mom, you can rest when you’re dead.”
We are busy! On the other hand….God does not tell us to just sit around and be lazy. God wants us to use our time and to find and use our talents, however, there is a balance we need to find in this crazy, chaos we call life.
**From the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed….we go, go, go…to get it all done.
** Most of these things are good. Chores, work, home work, eating, showering, sports, choir, band, drama, spending time with family and friends…the list goes on and on.
**Do you ever feel like you are going to forget to do something that is important because your schedule is so tight? Do you ever get tired?
Read: Ask for 4 volunteers Luke 10:38-42 Mary and Martha
Reader #1 -Vs 38…“While Jesus and his followers were traveling, Jesus went into a town. A woman named Martha let Jesus stay at her house.”
Can you imagine if Jesus was coming over to your house? Do you think your parents would make you clean up if Jesus were coming over?
Probably so, and this is exactly what Martha was doing. She wanted everything to be just right for such a special guest.
Martha was very busy playing hostess. She had to cook. She had to clean. She had to make sure everyone had a place to sit down and relax.
She had to make sure that there was water and towels to wash everyone’s feet. The list went on and on.
There was just so much to do!
Reader #2 –Luke 10:39 “Martha had a sister named Mary, who was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him teach.”
Martha sees her sister Mary and sees her just sitting there: doing nothing to help her!
She’s just sitting at Jesus’ feet.
You can imagine how this made Martha feel. She was MAD!
Reader #3- Luke 10:40 “But Martha was busy with all the work to be done. She went in and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me alone to do all the work? Tell her to help me.””
Martha is so mad that she goes to Jesus and complains about Mary to Him.
She says, “Make her help me!” Now, listen to how Jesus responds to Martha.
Reader #4- : Luke 10:41-42 “But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the better thing, and it will never be taken away from her.”
Jesus understood why Martha was so upset. He understood why she was working so hard to make everything right.
But Jesus wanted Martha to see that there was something more important. She was doing good things, but she had missed out on the most important thing. Mary had chosen to listen to Jesus talk and teach.
In Luke 4:4- Jesus said….”Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God”
And in John 6:63- “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life: eternal life”
Just like Martha, we can get so busy with other things; good things, that we miss out on the most important thing, time with Jesus.
You still need to do those other things, especially the things you’re asked to do by parents or teachers.
However, we need to be sure that we make time in our schedule to meet with God. This needs to be very intentional…like the verse says…”Let the little children come to me.” It doesn’t say “I will come to the little children.” It says “Come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened”. It doesn’t say “I will come to those who are weary and heavy burdened.” There are many verses that say “Come to Me.” It has to be an intentional decision to spend time in the presence of Jesus.
Jesus told Martha that Mary had “chosen what was better.” That was an intentional choice.
Just like we put all our other activities on the calendar, we need to set a time to meet with God.
Whether it is in the morning or evening, in the car or in our room, with our parents or by ourselves, find time to spend with God and grow in your relationship with Him.
***Sometimes we get so busy with GOOD things that we miss out on some GREAT things.
ACTIVITY – Make Time for God
Take another look at the schedule created in the opening activity.
Give students time to think about the places in their schedule that they would make time for God.
Encourage them to think hard about a consistent time that they could spend with Him.
It may mean they wake up 10 minutes earlier or spend less time on fun things, but encourage them to make time for God.
Write it in! Be intentional.
Now….give each student an index card and have them write down their chosen time.
Ask them to place the card in a visible place to remind them of their commitment to spending time with God this week.
If students have a smartphone I want you to set a calendar reminder on your phones. Set an alarm. This is a great way to help them remember to be a Mary! Suggest First Five Ap for the girls by proverbs 31 ministries. Unpackinit.com/unpackthis under 2 minute weekday Mon-Fri devotional-free for sports fans by Bryce Johnson-email form. Even though this is for sports fans I still find them very beneficial even for me to read.
Matthew 11:28, 29- "Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace."
***Note the words..."Come to me"-we need to come to Him not the other way around. "Get away with Me"-God wants us to find a quiet place away from our busy lives to be with Him. "You'll recover your life"-then we will find our ordained purpose for our lives. "I'll show you how to take a real rest"-I wonder what that would feel like...to have God show me how to rest. "Walk with me"-notice it does not say run with me.
VIDEO: Explanation of Music Video First (1:05 Minutes)
MUSIC VIDEO: (3:33 minutes) The song is BREATHE…Just breathe. But in the middle of the video it says “Just Be” …”Lay down what is good and find what’s best.” That is key to stepping out of Chaos and knowing Him.
ACTIVITY: Turn off your cell phones and place under your chairs! Take the paper and pen that is under your chair. I am going to give you 5 minutes to write a letter to GOD. At the 4 minute mark I will give you a heads up to conclude this letter. Talk to Him. At the end of the 5 minutes place your letter in envelopes, write your name on it, seal it, and hand it to your leaders. Leaders place them in the large envelope and seal it. These will be given back to you at the end of the church school year for you to read privately.
Psalm 46:10 says- “Be still, and know that I am God."
Volunteer: Close your eyes. Hold out your hands…I want to give you something. Notice the hands positions. Palms up to receive the gift.
Prayer: I want you to put your hands out palms up and just let them fall softly to your legs keeping them palms up. You are now open to receive the blessing from God. Close your eyes. Pray silently for 2 minutes. When finish praying everyone just be still. Continue to have your palms open to receive what God has for you. Keep your eyes closed. Try to not let your mind wander. Relax your foreheads. Relax your shoulders. Let your arms feel weightless. Relax your necks. Relax your jaws. Concentrate on the phrases: “Be Still” “Holy Spirit” “Jesus Savior Redeemer Friend” Concentrate on your breathing as you silently whisper these phrases slowly over and over.
SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS:
Do you feel like Martha… always running to get things done?
What GOOD thing(s) will you have to give up to receive what is GREAT?
How did it feel to just sit at Jesus’ feet like Mary?
What will you do to find quiet time with God?