Leader Guide

Objective
Students will learn that although there are many issues they face, Jesus is in the miracle business and can conquer them all.

Warm Up
Begin by telling of a struggle you had and how Jesus has delivered you from the issue. Please be careful to not glorify the sin.

Transition
Say, "You may be struggling with a sin. You may be addicted to it. I want you to know that it is okay to not be okay - but hear me carefully, it is not okay to stay that way. Jesus can help if you let Him. He can break the chains that are holding you down. He is the ultimate chain breaker."

The Video
Hand out the Student Guides and say, "Let's watch the video for the song 'Chain Breaker' by Zach Williams. Listen for the descriptions of Jesus and jot them down." Show the video.

Transition
•    What are some of the descriptions used for Jesus in this song?
•    What did the woman struggle with?
•    Who helped her through it?

Explain that we can get addicted to drugs and alcohol like the woman in this video. Many people do - and teenagers are no exception. (You may wish to use some statistics from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, such as those found here.) There are many other addictions, including pornography or unhealthy relationships. We can even get addicted to "stuff" where we must have the latest and greatest phone or game system to be happy. We may need to have the latest fashion trends to feel fulfilled. Have you heard the old drug slogan, "Just Say No"? That anti-drug campaign attempted to solve the drug problem in America, but a slogan cannot fill the hole in our life. The problem is not a mental problem; the problem is not a physical problem. The real problem is a spiritual problem.

Bible Study
Because we are born sinners, we are separated from God from the onset of life. God created us to have a relationship with Him, so there is something missing in our lives. People try to fill that hole with many things. The woman in this video tried to fill it with drugs and alcohol. When we force something into the "God hole" in our lives, it is like putting the wrong piece in a jigsaw puzzle. Not only is it the wrong piece but it will cause other things not to fit in their proper place as well.

Read Ephesians 2:1-10. Discuss:
•    Who, according to verse 3, has faced addictions - or as the NIV translation puts it, "gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts"?
•    Who does the saving?

We all have chains. We have mental, spiritual, and emotional prisons we have made for ourselves. We all need saving. Jesus Christ does the work.

Wrap Up
Zach Williams wrote this song to speak "to believers as much as to non-believers because we all get to places in our lives where we get lukewarm." From what does Jesus need to save you? Ponder that question for a minute. If anything comes to mind, write it down. Now, call on Jesus because there is a better life for you if you will give the life you have to Him. "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36)